


Beautifully Complicated

by Crimson_Peak, MischievousBellerina



Category: Actor RPF, British Actor RPF, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Actor Tom Hiddleston, Angst, Break Up, Drama & Romance, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Heartbreak, Love Confessions, Makeup Sex, Matchmaking, Oral Sex, Romance, Rough Sex, Sexual Content, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2019-10-09 15:47:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 95,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17409716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crimson_Peak/pseuds/Crimson_Peak, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MischievousBellerina/pseuds/MischievousBellerina
Summary: Kate Rees just wants some romance in her life, but she hasn’t had the most pleasant dating history. After yet another date gone wrong, she nearly gives up until her work colleague mentions a matchmaking website she’d seen an ad for. Little does she know, the mystery man she’s been matched with is handsome, rising star, Tom Hiddleston. And that’s when things get complicated.





	1. Match Found

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to mine and Crimson_peak's first series together, that we’ve been working on for the past couple of weeks! We’re so excited to finally be able to share this with you! Join us as we tell the adorable, funny, and sometimes steamy tale of Tom and Kate as they find love through a matchmaking website.
> 
> You can also find us on Tumblr!  
> Mischievousbellerina - @odinsonsobsessed  
> Crimson_peak - @mrshiddleston-uk

Kate pushed the door to the office open, coffee in one hand and handbag in the other. She walked over to her desk and set them down, throwing herself into her chair with a sigh. Her friend and work colleague, Roxy, glanced up from her desk,

“Morning!”

“Hey.”

Roxy leaned back in her chair and studied her for a minute, “Dare I ask how your date went last night?”

Kate took a sip of her coffee before replying, “Awful.”

“What happened?”

Kate groaned and put her coffee down on her desk, looking across at her friend “He turned up wearing a cardigan. He ate with his mouth open, and kept belching really loudly. And then he asked me if I’d like to go with him next time he goes plane spotting at Heathrow airport! He’s a fucking plane spotter, Roxy!”

Roxy shrieked and collapsed into fits of laughter as Kate watched her with an unamused expression. Last night had been the latest of many disastrous dates for Kate and she was beginning to think she was going to be single forever.

“That’s the last time I’m letting you set me up with someone from the museum.” She said, glaring at Roxy who was still bent over with her head on her desk in fits of giggles. Kate took another sip of her coffee as Roxy lifted her head and looked at her,

“I’m sorry. You’re right, no more museum geeks.”

Kate shook her head and pointed her finger at her, “No more anyone. You absolutely suck at matchmaking. I’ll find myself a man on my own, thank you very much!”

“Okay, fine… But I have just  _one_  more idea.”

“Roxy…” Kate groaned.

Roxy put her hands up in front of her, “I know, I know, but just hear me out and I promise I’ll stop! I just want you to be happy, Kate. Please, just hear me out!”

Kate looked at her friend’s pouting face and sighed, “Go on. But if this doesn’t work, I’m done with dating. At least for a while.” She meant it, too. If this didn’t work out, she would cut Roxy off from setting her up with anyone else ever again. Kate knew she meant well, and she appreciated Roxy looking out for her, but the lack of decent men was really starting to get frustrating.

“Okay, so I saw this ad on the telly last night and there’s this website. It’s called ‘One True Match’ and basically you plug in all your information and they match you with one person. For two weeks, you talk with your match and after the time has expired, you can either accept or decline. If you both accept, you make plans to meet up for a date, but if even one of you presses ‘decline’, you’re removed from each other’s list and cannot be matched again.”

Kate listened, but was extremely hesitant. It sounded very private, which was both good and bad. On one hand, if it didn’t work out, she wouldn’t have to worry about him somehow finding her and harassing her. But on the other hand, what if she meets up with him and he’s all wrong? Maybe she would just have to take that chance. She was running out of decent options. She was tired of either going for a guy with good looks and a rotten personality, or letting Roxy hand pick them out for her and them turning out to be closet weirdos. Maybe she could give it one more shot and somehow let this website choose someone she would be compatible with. “I don’t know, Roxy… I’ll think on it, but I’m not sure if this will work.”

“Yeah, yeah, please give it some thought! Just try it out once, let it set you up with at least one guy before you turn it down.”

Kate couldn’t wait to get home. Friday nights were her favorite for relaxing, as she was tired from the work week. By seven o'clock in the evening, you could find her curled up on the couch in front of the telly with Netflix on, in her pajamas, contacts out and glasses on, with her hair finally up and out of her face in a messy bun. She’d be sucked into the middle of a series or a movie, and that would be it for the night.

This particular Friday night though, her mind was on that damn website Roxy wanted her to try. She had no idea what was even going on in the movie that was playing on the screen, her eyes kept glancing down to her laptop that was sitting on the coffee table in front of her.

_Do I… or don’t I?_

Kate was so tired of disappointment after meeting these loser guys she seemed to always attract. But if she didn’t at least try this, she knew she would regret it.

_I’m going to need wine for this._

She went into the kitchen to pour herself some red wine and grabbed a snack along the way before returning to the couch. She set her refreshments on the side table next to the couch after taking a sip of wine. Grabbing the laptop, Kate set it in her lap and began typing the name of the site into the search bar when it had booted up.

When it pulled up, she explored a few pages, reading up on the way it worked, the rules, the prices, and lastly, she had to read the testimonials. It was a little pricey to do it per month, but her first match was free, so she figured she had nothing to lose but two weeks of her time, and maybe her sanity a little bit.

Kate typed in her credit card information to get the free trial going and began to set up her profile. She filled out basic bits of information, selected a few of her major likes and dislikes as the page prompted and worked on a brief paragraph about herself.

After two glasses of wine, a bag of crisps and a completed profile later, Kate looked the screen over before submitting the information. “Alright, my mystery man… come and find me.” She laughed, closing the laptop and setting it back down on the table.

After resuming her show, she watched it for a couple more hours before going go bed.

 

* * *

 

Tom’s eyes fluttered open as he woke from his deep slumber. He stretched his long legs and raised his arms above his head before letting out a tired yawn. He’d been quite busy lately, this being his first morning back from traveling to the US for a week to attend an awards event and an interview a couple of days after.

Unfortunately, since he was used to being up so early, his body clock did not care that this was a free weekend with no plans. He sat up with a groan, running his hand through his hair, which was probably up in all sorts of directions.

His dog, Bobby, perked up his ears and lifted his head when his owner moved. His tail wagged and Tom smiled, reaching over to pet him. “Morning Bobby.” He mumbled, voice thick with sleep as he scratched one of Bobby’s ears. “I bet you’ve got to go outside, hmm?” Bobby barked in agreement, leaning into his touch.

“Alright, hang on.” Tom swung his legs over the side of the bed and got up, walking over to his drawer to grab a fresh pair of sweatpants to wear. He sleepily tugged them on, nearly losing his balance when he put the first foot through the pant leg.

He went to the bathroom, relieved himself and splashed some water on his face, hoping it would wake him up enough to go and make some tea.

After letting Bobby run free outside, he went to go put the water on. When he sat down at the table to drink his hot beverage, he turned on his laptop and checked some emails.

One email in particular stood out. It was marked ‘Important’ and the subject read: ‘Match’

Tom eagerly clicked on the link and it took him to the matchmaking website he’d signed up for. He was tired of dating famous actresses and singers that the whole world seemed to know, and the attitude that came with them. They were high maintenance and the attention that they drew on their relationship was getting old. Tom wanted someone normal that he could take Bobby out with for a simple walk or go have a drink in a pub and not be bothered. He was tired of messing around, he just wanted to settle down and have a real connection with someone.

He read the profile of the girl he was now matched with:

 

Name: Kate R.

Gender: F

Age: 30

Location: Northern London

Occupation: Conservator

 

Her summary drew him in almost immediately and he found himself itching to talk with her. Opening up the chat window, he typed out a message, read it over and deleted it. He typed up a new one, took out some of it because he felt like it was too long, read it over once more and when he was satisfied, he hit send.

His leg bounced nervously, waiting a few minutes before Bobby barked at the door. “Oh shit.” He stood up from his seat and rushed over to the door to let him. “Sorry, buddy! Oh, it’s cold out there.” He closed the door and began to walk with him toward the kitchen. “Are you hungry? Here.” He put some food down in Bobby’s bowl and heard a ‘ding’ come from his laptop.

It was Kate! She’d just messaged him back!

 

* * *

 

When Kate had awoken the next morning, after refusing to get up for a while, she walked into the kitchen, heading straight for the coffee maker. While it was brewing, the matchmaker ran across her mind and she wondered if any matches had come through yet.

Sitting down with her coffee, she pulled the laptop into her lap and opened it, going back to the website she was on the night before. When the notification icon had a ‘1’ next to it, her heart leapt with nervousness and excitement.  _Match found._

She clicked on it anxiously, seeing the page of the guy she had been matched with, load up on the screen.

 

Name: Tom H.

Gender: M

Age: 34

Location: Northern London

Occupation: Actor

 

She began to read a brief summary about him on his page and she smiled, thinking he sounded like a decent guy so far. When she realized she had a new message, her eyes widened and she opened it up.

Tom H.: _Hi little pink smiley face! I’m Tom, aka mr. blue smiley face, and I’ll be your dedicated match for two weeks! I don’t know how much I should talk as this is my first message so maybe I’ll just say that I’m looking forward to chatting with you and getting to know you over the next few weeks. I hope to hear from you soon!_

Kate began to giggle at his greeting, reading through the rest of the message with butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. The feeling of meeting someone online was different than she first imagined. She thought it would be weird and boring, but after receiving her first message, she found herself excited and anxious to get to know this mysterious person named Tom on the other side of the web.

She began to think of a response, letting her fingers do the work on the keyboard.

Kate R.:  _Good morning, Tom! It’s pink smiley face here, or Kate! ☆ Whichever you’d prefer! This is my first message too, so don’t feel too bad! Go ahead and type as much as you want, as we will need to get to know each other somehow!_

Pressing send, Kate placed her laptop back on the table and picked up the remote, flicking the telly on and opening Netflix. She scrolled through the endless lists of series it was recommending to her, pausing over one she’d been meaning to watch for a long time - The Hollow Crown. She’d heard so many great things about it but just hadn’t actually got round to watching it yet. She was about to press play when from the table her laptop flashed up with a new notification. She grabbed it quickly, pulling it into her lap and opening the new message from Tom.

Tom H.:  _Good Morning Kate! How are you?_

_I guess I should start by telling you a little more about myself. I’m 34 years old and I live in Belsize Park, with my dog, Bobby. I like walking, running, reading, films and theatre….but being an actor, I guess that’s just part of the job! I try to play guitar as well. I have two sisters, one younger and one older. My parents divorced when I was 12._

_I’ve never been married and I haven’t got any children although I’d like some one day. I joined the One True Match in the hope that I can find someone to have fun with and who will like me for just being me._

Tom pressed send before he had time to change his mind. He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair, which he still hadn’t fixed yet after sleeping on it.

Had he said too much? Not enough? Had he replied too quickly? He’d never done anything like this before and he was finding it all a little awkward, although he was excited to find out more about Kate and hopefully as they got to know each other better their messages would become easier. He didn’t have to wait long for a reply, as within ten minutes another message from Kate arrived.

Kate R.:  _I’m good thank you, glad it’s the weekend!_

_I suppose we have to start somewhere to get the awkwardness out of the way, so I’m just going to dive in as well! I’m 30 years old and I live in Camden - we’re practically neighbours!_

Tom chuckled to himself. Kate lived literally a few miles from him. Maybe they’d even met before, walked past each other in the street, queued for the same till in Tescos? Ignoring the butterflies in his stomach, he continued reading.

_I work in the conservation team at the Victoria and Albert Museum. I like films too, but I’ve never been to the theatre. Maybe if we get on well we could do that together in the future. I don’t have any pets, but I love animals! I’d love to hear more about your Bobby sometime!_

_No marriages or children for me either, but like you, I would definitely like both one day. I joined this website as my friend keeps setting me up with totally unsuitable men so I decided to take matters into my own hands, and now here we are! Maybe you will be my Prince Charming!_

Kate had been hesitant about adding the last line of that message, but she was hoping it would break the ice between them. Nerves swirled around in her stomach from putting herself out there, hoping he didn’t think her joke was lame.

When Tom replied almost immediately, telling her that he did know how to ride a horse and making a joke about wearing tights, Kate knew she already liked this man more than any of the others she’d met over the last few months.

They chatted back and forth almost constantly for the rest of the day, the conversation starting to flow a lot easier as they talked more about their hobbies and interests, sharing funny stories about their lives and joking around with each other. Finally that evening when she could barely keep her eyes open, she had to excuse herself and say goodnight. She felt like she could have kept talking to Tom all night, and the nervous and excited feeling in her stomach told her that this really could be the start of something good.

When Tom woke up the next morning, the first thought that entered his head was Kate. He reminded himself that they’d only been talking for one day and he shouldn’t get too carried away so soon, especially before he’d even met her, but they’d really hit it off yesterday and he felt like they already had chemistry. They liked a lot of the same things, they got each other’s humor and seemed to really understand where the other was coming from. He couldn’t wait to speak to her again. Finally dragging himself out of bed, he wandered into the lounge and immediately went straight to his laptop, after coffee of course, to find he already had a message from Kate, telling him that she was meeting her best friend for lunch and so she would catch up with him later that evening.

 

* * *

 

Kate took a taxi to meet her best friend she’d known since her first year of high school, Zack. Deciding to meet at Gig’s for lunch, they agreed to meet at their favorite spot in the back, where they usually sat. It was cozy, quiet and warm.

When she arrived, Zack was already sitting at the table. His shoulder was leaning against the wall, his posture relaxed as he draped his arm over the empty chair next to him as he held the menu with his other hand. He was talking, no,  _flirting_  with a new waitress that Kate had never seen before.

Kate rolled her eyes, knowing how well they both knew that menu. This had been a regular place for them for years, and he was taking advantage of the girl not knowing who they were yet.

She approached the table just as Zack was ordering their drinks. When the waitress left, he watched her leave, checking out the way her backside looked in the well fitted uniform they were required to wear. “New waitress, huh?”

He looked at her with a smirk. “ _Lyla_.” Purring the name, Kate shook her head as she sat down across from him.

“What? I was just being friendly.” Zack was peddling, but Kate wasn’t buying it.

Zack had always been a playboy, ever since he bulked up a bit in college, but before that he had been sort of a loner that some of the other kids picked on. He’d had Kate at least, and she were always there for him and vice versa. And like her, he was single, but where she lacked finding someone worth her time, he found many. They just never lasted very long, usually ending up being casual flings. Zack preferred it that way, though. It was like he was just waiting for the right person. Just like Kate.

She hoped this mysterious Tom was going to be that person, her ‘Mr. Right’. He was off to a promising start so far. She found herself already wanting to meet him. She loved his sense of humor and how easy going he sounded.

“… _hello?_ ”

Kate blinked a couple of times, returning her attention toward him.

Zack chuckled, “Where did you go, dollface?”

“Sorry, I just…” She laughed through her nose. “Okay, I have to tell you something and you have to promise not to roll your eyes.”

“You know I can’t promise that, but I’ll try my best.” He laughed, “But, go ahead.”

Kate pursed her lips at him before she continued. She was a little nervous to tell him, as protective as he was of her, but she had to, they told each other everything. “So… remember how I told you Roxy had set me up with that guy I went out with the other night?”

“The loser who wanted to take you to the airport for your second date and dressed like he was a preppy boy from the 80s?” He snorted, folding his menu and setting it aside to get it out of the way.

“Yeah.” She stifled a giggle, “Anyway, she promised not to set me up with guys like that again.”

“As she should.” He interrupted.

“ _However_ ,” Kate continued, “She  _did_  sort of recommend me to this matchmaking website and–”

“A  _what_?”

Kate wanted to cringe at his annoyed tone. “Look it’s not as bad as you–”

“Tell me you didn’t sign up for something like that.”

She smiled sheepishly. “I was matched just yesterday with someone.”

Zack groaned, running his hand down his face. “Oh, Kate. You should stay off those kind of websites, they’re no good. They’re creeps on there!”

Kate ignored his complaining as the waitress brought the drinks to the table and asked to take their orders. When they’d given her their usual lunch orders, she left with the promise to return with them shortly.

“Look. I’ve been matched up with this guy named Tom, and we’ve been really hitting it off, and even though we’ve only been talking a day, I feel like we have this connection already and…” Kate struggled to come up with the proper way to explain how she was feeling.

A reluctant but attentive Zack listened to his best friend ramble on about this mysterious man she met online, what he was like and the things she’d thought about him. He voiced his concerns about meeting up with the guy and Kate reassured him she would be careful. She would meet him somewhere very public and somewhere she was familiar with, promising to call him if she ever felt uncomfortable.

The more Kate talked about Tom, the more she wished she was at home, talking to him. And as much as she loved her lunch dates with Zack, she was itching to finish eating and get home. With an internal groan, she realized she left her little bit of grocery shopping to do after lunch like an idiot.

She didn’t get home until the late afternoon. As soon as she set her groceries away, she hopped on the computer to pick up where she left off with Tom.

Tom H.:  _Kate, I’ve been called out unexpectedly and won’t be back until after dinner time tonight. I personally think it would be easier if you texted me, rather than try to be on this site at the same time and since they don’t have an app…_

_You don’t have to by all means, but if you’d like, here’s my number._

Kate read the phone number on the screen and typed it into her phone, saving it as Mr. Blue Smiley Face with a blushed smile. Then she thought about it for a moment… Should she text him?

 

* * *

 

 

Tom had a couple of errands to run and his good friend, Ryan, made him go out to dinner with him at the pub. He found himself checking his phone frequently as he went from place to place, wondering if she was still out or if she was too uncomfortable to reach out to him through their cell phones.

It wasn’t until he was leaving the last store, did he get a new message.

Kate:   _Hey you, I’ve just got your message as I only got home a few minutes ago. Brilliant idea!_

Tom smiled, typing a out a response before he started off for his dinner destination. It would be a bit of a ways from where he was at, so he figured he had a little bit of time to chat before he got there.

Tom:  _How was your lunch date?_

Kate:  _Would you call it a lunch date if he picks up your waitress in front of you?_

Tom:  _Ouch, I suppose not. Now I see why you’ve had to resort a matchmaking site. ;)_

Kate:  _You wouldn’t do that, would you, Tom?_

Tom:  _Wouldn’t dream of it. Who in their right mind would give another woman his attention with an amazing person like you sitting in front of them?_

Kate was curled up on the couch, blushing as she read her latest message from Tom on her phone.

Kate:  _Right answer!!_

Tom:  _Of course, I’m your Prince Charming, remember?_

_Ugh, I’m sorry I have to do this, but I’ve gotta go. I just arrived at the restaurant. I’ll chat with you later?_

Kate:  _I’ll be here!_

Tom and Kate texted back and forth for a couple of days continuously, in the morning their phones were the first things they reached for, chatting sporadically during work hours when she could and in between the obligations Tom had, and they were each other’s last thought before they went to bed.

Tom was getting ready for bed one night, undressing and climbing into bed. He grabbed his phone, staring at his current conversation with Kate. A thought suddenly came across his mind, an impulsive one, he wondered what her voice sounded like. His eyes glanced at the phone icon above their thread of messages, lingering there, torn between yes and no.

Before he knew what was happening, his thumb was pressing the call button and Oh God it was ringing, it was too late to go back now. With a shaky hand, he placed the phone up to his ear, his heart hammering with anticipation. Would she pick up? Was she still awake?

“…Hello?” Kate’s timid voice picked up after a few rings.

“Kate.” Was all he said, sitting up in bed, unsure of what he wanted to say to her now that he’d gotten her on the phone. He suddenly felt stupid for doing it and was beginning to regret it until she spoke once more.

“Tom! What a pleasant surprise! It’s nice to finally hear your voice.”

Tom’s face broke out into a smile as he leaned back against the headboard. Disappointment was far from what he was feeling now as she spoke to him. Those damn butterflies were back again. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Absolutely not! I have to admit, I’m a bit nervous, but we had to talk sometime.”

“I hope I didn’t catching you at a bad time either. I… This was kind of a spur of the moment thing.” He laughed nervously and Kate assured him that it was alright.

“Not at all! I’m just sitting here on the couch, watching a show. I’m not that into it anyway.” She shrugged it off and he heard some rustling on the other end. Tom imagined he’d just interrupted her snacking on a bag of crisps or pretzels while she watched whatever show she had on.

They talked for a bit longer, Tom asking her what show she’d been watching before he called and Kate asking about his day and what he had to do, and telling him about Zack and the waitress, making Tom laugh. As it was getting late, they reluctantly said their good nights to each other and made a plan to speak again tomorrow evening.

 

* * *

 

Kate didn’t hear from him after lunch time the next day, though. She’d sent him a text when she got off work and she hadn’t heard from him before she got into bed. Her paranoid brain kept her awake for a bit, worrying that maybe he’d gotten bored of her. She also wondered if he was alright. Or maybe he was just busy. But when she’d received a call from him as she made her morning coffee the next day, her mind eased a bit.

“Hello?”

“Kate, I’m so sorry about yesterday!”

“It’s okay! Is everything alright?”

Tom sighed, “Yes, I just got extremely busy yesterday as I’m cast to be in a play in a few weeks, so I have to start rehearsing soon. I was looking over the script last night and lost track of time.”

“Oh! Well, that’s exciting! Will you let me come and see you?”

Tom smiled at her interest and pushed down the nervous feeling. He was pretty confident in his acting skills anyway, but he couldn’t deny the thought of her being there added a little bit of pressure. Kate would now be his biggest motivation to learn everything properly and not screw it up. “Of course. I’ll put you in the front row as my guest in the VIP section.”

“That sounds lovely, I can’t wait!”

“Listen I know you’re getting ready for work so I’ll let you get on, but I’ll text you later and I’ll call you this evening and we can talk properly, ok?”

“Yeah, okay! Have a good day.”

“You too… Bye Kate.”

Kate hung up the phone and smiled to herself. She was already looking forward to speaking to Tom that evening. His voice was so soothing, so calm and smooth, she could listen to him talk for hours. But first she had a day of work to get through. Thankfully it was Friday and she had no plans this weekend so she hoped she’d get to speak to Tom a lot more if he wasn’t busy.

“Any plans this weekend?” Roxy asked as they shut their computers down and started getting ready to leave for the day.

Kate shook her head. “Nah. Snacks, Netflix, the usual. How about you?”

Roxy laughed as she pulled her coat on, “My boyfriend wants to go and see the latest Marvel film at the cinema.”

Kate wrinkled her nose as she wrapped her scarf around her neck, “Sounds exciting.” She answered sarcastically.

“You should watch them. Girl, there’s some damn fine men in those films.”

Kate shook her head again, “Not my kind of thing, Rox. But you enjoy!” She patted her friend on the arm and waved goodnight, starting her walk to the tube. She stopped off at the corner shop on her way home to pick up a bottle of wine, and when she got in she changed into her slobby clothes, ordered a takeaway Pizza and collapsed onto the sofa. Tom called her just as she’d finished eating her Pizza and she wiped her hands frantically on her tracksuit bottoms to rid them of grease before swiping her phone across to pick up the call, “Hey you!” She answered, cheerfully.

“Hey! How’s your day been?”

Kate took a sip of her wine before replying, “It’s been quite busy. We have a new exhibition that we’re installing.”

“That sounds exciting! Perhaps I should come and visit the museum sometime.”

Kate smiled, “Perhaps you should. I’ll give you the VIP tour.”

“Oh, the VIP tour?” Tom asked in a playful tone.

“Oh yes, it’s very exclusive. I’m not the one who usually gives them, but in your case I’m willing to make an exception.” She teased.

He chuckled, “Can’t wait.”

They chatted for a while longer, asking about each other’s plans for the weekend. Kate told him she didn’t have much to do and Tom said that he’d be mostly learning scripts again. They said goodnight and agreed to speak the next day as usual.

Tom hung up the phone to Kate and dropped his phone on the sofa next to him. He thought for a minute and grabbed his phone, pressing redial.

“Tom?” Kate answered, sounding confused.

“Sorry Kate, I know we only just said goodnight but I need to ask you something.” He took a deep breath and continued, “I can’t wait any longer… I’d really like to see you. You said you’ve got nothing planned this weekend so I was just wondering if you’d like to meet me tomorrow evening for a drink. I mean you don’t have to as I know it’s a bit soon and we don’t know each other that well yet–” He babbled.

“Tom.” Kate cut him off, “I’d love to.”


	2. Face To Face

Kate had all of her clothes spread out on her bed just after noon on Saturday. Why on earth out of all these clothes did she not have a single thing she felt was presentable enough?? She put a few outfits on, ranging from a casual dress, to a nice blouse and some jeans, she exchanged the jeans for a skirt, then went back to a dress.

Looking at the clock, she noted that she had a few hours left to meet Tom at the Spaniards Inn, in Hampstead, so she decided to go shopping in town. Surely, she could find something to wear then! After going through three different shops, she came out with a bag that held her new outfit and she sighed in relief. She looked at her phone to check the time and nearly freaked. How had she taken so long?!

Rushing back home, she jumped in the shower and got dressed in her new clothes. Waving her hair, she fluffed it up and played with it a little until she felt it looked good enough. She spritzed some perfume on and slipped her wedges on before she stood in front of her standing mirror behind the door. Looking herself over, she had to admit, she cleaned up pretty nice without totally overdoing it.

Kate just hoped Tom thought she was attractive, that he wouldn’t be disappointed when she walked in that pub and met him for the first time. Her stomach swirled with nerves as she thought about what Tom might look like. If his looks were anything like how his voice sounded, she had nothing to worry over.

She took a shot of liquor before she went out the door, wanting to take the edge off in hopes it would settle in before she got there, so she wasn’t so stiff and nervous when he tried to talk to her. She wanted to come across as fun and carefree, like he did. She couldn’t mess this up, Kate really felt a connection with him and she really wanted this to work out.

By the time she reached for the door to the pub, her hands were shaking. She let go of the door and leaned her back against the wall, taking a couple of deep breaths, trying to give herself a mental pep talk. She just had to go in there and be herself, talk to him as she normally did, like they had on the phone. Her heart began to pound as she reached for the door again.

Kate walked up to the counter, fumbling with the strap of her purse as the hostess greeted her. “Erm, I have a reservation for Tom and Kate.”

The hostess glanced down at the podium and smiled, “Yes, Kate! Tom is waiting for you in the room to the left!” She gestured behind Kate and she caught a glimpse through the doorway of someone’s long legs as they sat in the chair, the wall separated her view of the rest of them.

She swallowed, turning around fully to take the last few steps to meet the man she’d been talking to for nearly a week.

Kate walked into the room, her eyes settling on Tom as he anxiously awaited her arrival. She breathed in deeply through her nose when she saw him for the first time. The first thing she noticed was was his warm smile. The way the corners of his mouth upturned when she walked into the room, brought her own smile to her face. “Tom?” She tried to hide the nervousness in her tone, but she was sure he picked up on it as he stood from his seat.

“Kate!” God, was he tall. She wasn’t short by all means, but he had a least a few inches on her. He met her halfway as she walked towards him. She held out her hand awkwardly for him to shake, but he pulled her in for a hug instead. When her body briefly pressed against his, she inhaled through her nose and her senses went crazy. He smelled like citrus, light and sweet, as he hugged her.

“What would you like to drink?” He asked, letting her go and smiling at her. Dear God, his eyes… bottomless pools of blue looking straight at her, making her insides somersault.   
  
“I… erm… a glass of red wine would be good, please.” She stuttered, as she tried to regain her composure.

  
“Coming right up!” Tom replied, “Take a seat, I’ll be back in a minute.”

Kate watched him walk away, before shrugging her coat off and perching on the edge of the worn but comfortable sofa. Her eyes immediately went back to where Tom was standing at the bar with his back to her. Her eyes trailed over his body, taking him in. Geez, how had she been matched with someone this gorgeous? She looked away quickly as Tom turned and started walking back towards her. He set their drinks down on the table and Kate immediately reached for hers and took a large sip. Tom watched with an amused look on his face and she glanced up at him, “Sorry… I’m just a bit nervous.”

Tom chuckled and sat down next to her, leaning back on the sofa and sliding his arm across the back of it, “It’s okay. I am, too, if that helps.”

Kate smiled nervously and tried to relax, taking another sip of her wine and making herself more comfortable on the sofa.

“It’s good to meet you.” Tom continued, “I hope you didn’t mind me asking to meet you before the two weeks were up.”

Kate shook her head, “We’ve spoken so much in the last few days, I already feel like I’ve known you for longer than a week.”

Tom nodded in agreement and smiled nervously,

“I hope you weren’t disappointed when you saw me.”

Kate stared at him. How could she ever be disappointed, he was absolutely gorgeous!

“You’re okay.” She replied, smiling cheekily, praying that it wasn’t too soon to be making jokes like that.

But Tom chuckled, “Only okay? I’ll guess have to try harder then, won’t I?” He soon had her feeling much more at ease, their conversation becoming more comfortable and similar to the ones they’d had by phone over the last few days.

As they talked, she noticed he was a fidgeter just like she was. She found her fidgeting habits were different than his, she'd rub her fingers along her glass, or play with her hands, little things like that. His were a lot more noticeable, and though it was a little distracting, as he ran his hands through his blond hair, he rubbed on his thighs and shifted how he was sitting, it was adorable. But the most distracting thing was when his tongue would dart out. She'd follow it along his lip, watching it disappear back into his mouth. It was mesmerising and she struggled to focus on the conversation as her mind wandered off to imagine what that tongue could do, something she really shouldn’t be thinking about with a man she’d only just met.

They took turns to buy two more rounds of drinks, both switching to something non alcoholic after the first one, as Tom explained he was driving and Kate definitely didn’t want to end up drunk on their first date and say or do something stupid or embarrassing. They were so busy chatting now that they hadn’t realised the time and were startled when the bartender called last orders.

Tom looked back at Kate sadly, “Well, I guess we should make a move.”

Kate nodded and sighed, pulling her phone from her bag, “I need to call a taxi.”

“I can drive you, if you like?”

“It’s okay, I don’t want to take you out of your way.”

Tom reached out and held her wrist gently, “Kate, don’t be silly. It’s no trouble. Besides, it means I know you’re home safely.”

Her skin tingling from the contact, Kate looked up at him, “If you’re sure, then thank you.”

They stood and Tom helped her with her coat before putting his own on, and guiding her outside into the car park. They walked towards a brand new black Jaguar, and Tom pressed the key fob to unlock the doors.

“Nice car.” Kate commented as Tom opened the passenger door for her to climb in. Tom flashed her another killer smile and shut her door gently, walking around the car and getting into the driver's seat and starting the engine. They drove the short distance back towards Camden and Kate directed him to her flat. Tom pulled up at the curb and cut the engine, immediately jumping out of the car and running around to open Kate’s door before she had time to do it herself.

“Quite the gentleman, aren’t you?” Kate commented as she took her house keys out of her pocket.

Tom laughed, “I try my best.” God, Kate could listen to him laugh all night long. She loved the softness of it and the way he seemed to use his entire face to smile when he did it. “C’mon, let me walk you to the door.” He offered her his arm and she took it, thankful that the darkness hid the blush that was spreading across her cheeks. Stopping outside her front door, she let go of his arm and they stood opposite each other.

“I had a really great evening.” Tom said, fixing her with those beautiful blue eyes.

“Me too.” Kate nodded. God, she really wanted to kiss him.

“Could I take you out for dinner one night this week? If you’re free, that is.”

Kate couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face upon hearing that Tom wanted to see her again, “That would be lovely. I could do Thursday?”

Tom nodded in agreement, “Thursday it is, then.”

“Okay…” Kate tucked some hair behind her ear, her fingers rubbing along the keys in her hand, nervously.

They smiled at each other awkwardly, both a little unsure of how to say goodbye, but then Tom stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning down to kiss her cheek, his lips just brushing against her skin softly before he started to pull away again. As he did, their eyes met and Tom couldn’t resist any longer. He wanted to kiss her so much, he could hardly wait anymore. His hands went from her shoulders to cup her face and he leaned in, pressing his lips against hers more firmly this time.

Just one kiss, that's all… just one kiss… that turned into another and another. He'd only just begun to kiss her, yet Tom was already addicted to the warmth coming from her mouth. His hands were finding their way around her back, bringing her closer to him. The feeling of her lips molding together with his as her hands rested gently on his chest, kept him from wanting to release her. It made him hold her tighter, kiss her deeper. Tom didn't want to let her go, he didn't want to say good night just yet. The only thing letting him separate himself from her mouth was the internal promise to himself that he'd see her again in a few days. And he’d kiss her then, too. God, would he kiss her then. But for today, this was enough. It took every ounce of strength in his body to let her go and step back.

“I should go.” He whispered, trying to keep his voice from giving away just how worked up he was.

Kate bit her lip and gave him a small smile as she nodded, “Yeah, okay.”

Tom wanted to kiss her again but he knew that if he did he definitely wouldn’t be able to stop, so instead he shook a step backwards towards his car, “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow.” Kate confirmed, still smiling as she blinked slowly. God, she was beautiful and he really had to go.

“Bye.” he breathed, turning and walking quickly to the car.

Kate watched as he started the car and pulled away, with a small wave. She unlocked the front door and climbed the stairs to her flat, shoving the door open and kicking it closed behind her, collapsing against it and blowing out a deep breath. That kiss had literally made her weak at the knees, and she really hadn’t wanted to stop. Damn, was it Thursday yet?

 

* * *

 

 

When Kate awoke Sunday morning, she had the biggest smile on her face. There was a little more pep in her step than usual and she hummed around the house, making herself some coffee, cooking a little breakfast for herself, tidying all the rooms up.

Just as she’d decided to finally start The Hollow Crown and set it up on Netflix, there was a knock on her door. With a groan, she placed the remote on the coffee table and went to go see who it was.

Zack had popped over for a visit, since his week had been pretty busy and he had more plans later, he just wanted to catch up and share the going ons of his week.

Kate made him some tea and they sat down on the couch to talk. His week had been full of drama and she knew he would only feel better about it if he talked it over with her, getting her opinion on how to handle it.

She knew she had to tell Zack about her spur of the moment date, but she was so nervous. The conversation had played out in her head and she knew what he was going to say. But she would be a terrible friend if she didn't tell him something as important as this was to her.

“So… I met Tom last night.”

“You did?” Just as she thought, the tightness in his voice gave his displeasure away.

“I did. And I'm really glad for it.”

“You know how dangerous that was, right? To meet some guy you've barely known for a  _week_ , on some website that you know  _nothing_  about. Did you even look into it?”

“Of course I researched it, Zack! I'm not stupid…” Kate mumbled. “I checked out the reviews and I read through all the disclaimers and rules. Besides, we met at Spaniards, there were other people around. He didn't give off any creepy vibes, he was a gentleman actually, even walked me up to the door--”

“ _You brought him home?_ ” His accusing tone embarrassed her and she immediately got defensive.

“He drove me home and walked me to the door, that's it.” She huffed out. Though she wanted to invite Tom in so badly, he behaved herself so she didn't mess anything up with him. “Besides, so what if I had? You bring different girls home you've just met all the time!”

“It's different, Kate!”

“How is it so different? My past relationships have been absolute shit and what if I wanted to have a bit of fun?”

Zack sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I'm not saying you shouldn't have fun. I just want you to be careful. Don't go picking up strange guys and letting them into your home. What if they hurt you?” He stared at her now somber expression and his face softened. Reaching out his arms, he pulled her into a hug.

Kate immediately buried her face into his shoulder as she mumbled her response. “I'll be careful, I promise. He's a really great guy, Zack.”

Zack rubbed her back comfortingly before pulling away, “Alright, tell me about him then. I want to hear about this guy you're so crazy about.”

Kate scooted back, bending her knees as she leaned her back against the armrest of the couch, with a soft smile as she thought about Tom. Where should she even begin? “Well, for starters, he's very charming. And not playboy charming, mind you, it's like… He's just this warm, genuine person, you know? He listens to me and I mean he really listens. I feel like he actually cares about what I have to say.” She grabbed a couch pillow and pulled it into her lap, hugging it as her smile grew bigger. “He makes me laugh and he’s so fun and interesting to talk to. And he’s so smart, he views things in such a deep way, that I…” Her heart began to beat faster as she talked about Tom.

Zack let her ramble on and on about him before he had to go. Kate walked him to the door and hugged him goodbye before he left.

Kate went back to sit down, realizing Zack’s mug was still sitting on the table. As she was washing it, she heard her phone’s ringtone as a text came through. Butterflies swirled around in her stomach, thinking it was Tom reaching out to her like he’d said, but when Roxy’s name popped up on the screen, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

Her disappointment faded away as she gasped, pressing the phone icon to ring Roxy. “Roxy! You will never believe this, but I’ve met Tom!”

“You WHAT?” Kate heard a thump and rustling on the other end of the line and called her name out in concern. More rustling came through before she heard Roxy’s voice again. “Sorry, dropped the stupid… anyway. You met Tom? Like, you saw him in person? When? I need details!”

Kate laughed at her friend’s enthusiasm before filling her in, explaining the phone call and her spur of the moment shopping trip, and finally her date with Tom. She even told her about the kiss and their plan to meet again in a couple of days.

“ _Girl_ , you’ve got it bad. And he must, too, if he keeps asking to see you!”

“You think so? Gosh, I was so bloody nervous, I thought I would run him off!” Kate laughed, recalling her need to nearly down her first glass of wine just so she could talk to him without stuttering. His looks had caught her off guard, he exceeded her expectations so much in that department. She couldn’t believe how lucky she’d gotten.

“So where is he taking you?”

“He hasn’t said yet, but I’m sure it’s somewhere posh. He drives a  _Jag_ , Roxy.”

“Good looks, good personality,  _and_  he has money? Shit, maybe I need to sign up for that website!”

Kate giggled at Roxy’s silliness and shook her head. “I don't think your boyfriend would appreciate that very much!” They burst into laughter and Roxy cracked a joke about her boyfriend before they settled down. Kate cleared the throat, composing herself. “God, I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve this Roxy, but I’m totally not complaining!”

The two friends talked for a bit longer, talking about what she might wear to dinner. Kate asked for suggestions, desperately wanting to impress Tom. Roxy listed off a couple of styles she thought Kate could pull off before she had to go, as it was nearing dinnertime and her boyfriend would be coming over. Kate told her she’d see her the next day at work before hanging up. She glanced at the clock and decided she should make herself some dinner too.

Sitting down with her food in front of the telly, she grabbed her remote to press play, so she could finally watch The Hollow Crown, the series that had been escaping her over the past few days. As soon as it started, she was hooked. The story drew her in and she barely left the couch until Richard II was over. Taking an intermission, Kate cleaned up the dishes she'd dirtied before she could sit down and relax for another episode.

She picked up the remote and finally settled back down, pressing play. The show began, setting up the scene for the new part of the series, showing the village, adults chattering and working, children running around.

Her phone began to ring and her eyes shot down, a smile stretching her face when Tom's name popped up on her screen. She swiped at the screen, answering the call and pausing her show.

He sounded tired, but happy to talk to her nonetheless. Another day of script reading. Despite his low energy, they talked for quite awhile, until he couldn't wait to eat dinner any longer.

When Kate checked the time, she realized it was now too late to resume the show. She wanted to be able to watch it all at once if she could, so she decided to wait until tomorrow and head to bed a little early, planning to do a little reading before going to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Work on Monday seemed to go pretty fast. It went by pretty uneventful for Kate and she was able to grab a takeaway home so she could resume the binge of her latest interest. Tom texted her for the first time that day as she neared her flat with dinner. She sent him a quick text back as she let herself in and began to set everything down and get changed for the evening.

She opened up the container and grabbed her fork, turning on the show. Typing a response to Tom, she set her phone back down on the table as he was responding so she could get a bite of her food.

Kate was telling him what she was doing, and he asked her what she was watching. Looking down to read the text, her hand halted its movement, nearly dropping the fork as she heard a smooth, familiar voice come through the speakers.

No… She was mistaken.

She glanced up at the screen and dropped her fork, ignoring the sound as it hit the plate with a clang. Her ears and her eyes must be playing tricks on her. Was that…? Scrambling to pick up the remote, she backed out of the movie to look at the cast list. _Tom Hiddleston. Tom H._

Tom was on the telly.  _Her_  Tom. And he was playing Prince Hal.  _He was on the bloody show she was watching!_

Kate quickly grabbed her laptop and flipped it open, bringing Google up immediately when it booted up. She typed in his name and when his face came up on the screen, she gasped, seeing a list of movies and shows he'd been in during his career so far. There were biographies, all matching up with the information he'd been telling her since they'd met. Pictures, articles, dozens of videos of interviews. She couldn't believe what she was reading.

“No fucking way…”

Tom was famous. Like,  _really_  famous. Kate was breathing heavily as she scanned the filmography on her screen. Marvel… he’d been in several Marvel films. She cursed herself as she remembered her conversation with Roxy the other day where she’d commented that they weren’t her kind of thing. She flipped to google images and moaned aloud as she took in the pictures - long dark hair, black leather from head to foot… Tom was the actor behind the famous Loki she'd heard Roxy swoon over… holy shit he was gorgeous. With a shaking hand Kate picked up her phone and dialed Tom’s number,

“Hey!” He answered, cheerfully.

“Tom...” She stuttered.

“Kate? Is everything okay?”

“I’m watching the Hollow Crown…” She was still struggling to think straight, let alone form a sentence.

“Ah. I see.”

“It’s you!!” She yelped, her voice higher than usual despite her attempts to try and keep calm.

Tom laughed, “You really didn’t know, did you?”

“I had absolutely no idea. You’re really famous…” She ran her hand through her hair. “I can't believe I didn't realize…”

“Kate, it’s okay! Actually, I think it’s great. I like the fact that when we met you just thought I was simple old Tom H.”

Finally getting a hold of herself, Kate chuckled, “I’m sorry. That was just a bit of a shock!”

They went on to chat a bit more about Tom’s roles, Kate teasing him and saying that she now felt that she had to watch all of his films and series, to see what she’d been missing.

“There’s one, though, that I’d rather you didn’t watch just yet.” Tom said, clearing his throat, sounding a little nervous, “Please leave the Night Manager for now.”

When Kate pressed him to tell her why, he was quite dismissive of it all, yet still wouldn’t tell her why he didn’t want her to see it. Kate decided to give him the benefit of the doubt for now and they chatted for a while longer before saying goodnight.

Kate pressed play and finished watching the episode of the Hollow Crown, immediately jumping to the next one once the first had finished. She was totally hooked! Seeing Tom on screen was mesmerising, and she still couldn’t believe this was the man that only two days ago had been on her doorstep kissing her goodnight after what was probably the most perfect first date she’d ever had.

Kate spent all of Tuesday watching the clock, desperate to get home and resume her Netflix binge. This meant she ended up ordering takeaway again so that she could get herself sorted and in front of the telly that bit quicker. After Tom had called her and they’d caught up with each other’s day, she settled down to resume her viewing.

After finishing the last episode of the Hollow Crown, she checked the time to see she still had a couple of hours before it was time to go to bed. She called up the search bar of Netflix and started to type in Tom’s name to see what else she could watch. Her eyes widened at the first search result.

 _The Night Manager_.

No, she couldn’t. Tom had asked her not to. But she was curious, and he didn’t have to know, right? Her finger hovered above the buttons as she thought it over in her head for a few moments before pressing play and throwing the remote down on the sofa next to her and picking up a cushion, hugging it against her chest.

As the episode unfolded Kate didn’t understand why the problem was. Tom’s acting was incredible, and she was practically drooling over how good he looked wearing that royal blue suit. Not only that but the storyline had her gripped and when Episode one finished she skipped straight to the next one, watching all of that as well.

As that ended, Kate glanced at the clock and decided that as much as she wanted to keep going, she really should call it a night. She turned the telly and all the lights off and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth, still puzzled as to why Tom had been so adamant she didn’t watch this series. The only explanation she could come up with was that maybe his character died and if that was the case it just made Tom even more adorable to want to protect her feelings like that. Still, her curiosity meant that she was going to have to watch the whole series, just to find out.

The next day Kate was frantically busy at work all day setting up the new Dior vintage clothing exhibition, and didn’t even get a lunch hour. When she finally got a chance to check her phone as she left for the night, she realised she had a missed call and a voicemail from Tom. She dialed into her messages and listened as Tom’s smooth voice came over the line,

“Hey Kate, I thought I’d give you a call at lunch time as I have a small event that I have to attend tonight so I won’t be able to speak to you later. But you’re obviously busy, so I’ll catch up with you tomorrow night. I’ll pick you up around 7 o'clock! Oh, and make sure you put your glad rags on, I’m taking you to a restaurant which has a smart dress code. Anyway, have a good day and I’ll text you later if I can!”

Kate cut the call and smiled to herself as she walked down the steps to the tube. It sounded like they were going to quite an up market restaurant for dinner, so she would have to go through her clothes tonight and pick something out.

When she arrived home she decided she really couldn’t order a takeaway again but she needed to sort out her outfit and she was desperate to try and catch another couple of episodes of the Night Manager. She quickly rummaged through her wardrobe and found a couple of dresses, trying them both on and deciding on a knee length dark purple one. With her outfit sorted, she quickly threw together a chicken and bacon salad from the ingredients in her fridge and made herself comfortable on the sofa to carry on watching Tom’s series.

As the third episode unfolded Kate found herself absolutely gripped by the story, so when it finished she didn’t hesitate to press play for episode four. Little did she realise she was about to discover exactly why Tom hadn’t wanted her to watch it.

“Oh…..” She stuttered as Tom’s character pinned his love interest, Jed, against his hotel room wall and kissed her passionately.

“Oh…  _Oh…_ ” She leant forwards in her seat as Tom started to moan needily, their kiss becoming more and more heated as he began to lift up her dress.

“OH SWEET JESUS!!!” She yelped as he desperately shoved his trousers down his thighs and she was faced with his naked backside as he thrusted into Jed, making the most obscene noises she’d ever heard.

Her hand covered her mouth briefly, her cheeks red hot as she watched Tom’s panting breath after his character had orgasmed.

She stared at the screen with her mouth hanging open, no longer paying attention to what was going on just afterwards. Her mind was replaying what she'd just seen and honestly, she needed to take a break. Picking up the remote, she paused the show and leaned back on the couch, letting out a breath and fanning her face with her hand. “Holy shit, Tom…”

She took a few minutes to collect herself. Normally scenes like that didn't affect her much, not like this one did, but this time was different. She  _knew_  him, hell she'd  _kissed_  him just a couple of nights ago. Not like that, but God… If she didn't want to before, she sure as shit did now.

Kate squeezed her legs together with a groan as her mind drifted back to those moans… She shivered from the thought of hearing them in person. The sound made her feel all hot...

Her curiosity got the better of her again as she slowly picked up the remote and hit the rewind button for a few moments, pressing play again. The moment she heard those low, hungry moans coming from deep within Tom's chest, she hit pause on the remote and tossed it onto the table, away from her.  _Nope_.

She stood, rushing into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water out of the fridge, taking large gulps and pressing the cold bottle against her face in the spots she felt were on fire.

How in the hell was she supposed to see Tom tomorrow and act like she hadn't seen the damn near softcore pornography of his when he'd asked her not to?


	3. Tension

Tom was due to pick Kate up any minute and his leg bounced nervously as the taxi neared her flat. He sent her a quick text when they started to pull up, telling her that he was there. His heart thumped quickly in anticipation as the taxi rolled to a stop, the brakes squeaking slightly from the driver’s eased stop.

He threw open the door of the car and swung his legs out, standing up and closing the door. When he’d taken a couple of steps toward the walkway, the door to the building opened and out walked Kate. His steps faltered and he immediately smiled at the sight of her.

“Good evening.” He greeted as she walked towards him.

“Evening, Tom.” She replied with a smile.

He reached out to touch her arm as he leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, his lips lingering there as her skin tingled from the contact. “Your carriage awaits, milady.” He stepped back with a grin and opened the door.

Kate wanted to melt onto the pavement, but instead she giggled. “Thanks, Charming.” She joked as she passed him to climb into the backseat of the taxi. Tom rounded the other side and gave the driver the name of their destination.

“The Ivy? I've heard about it, but I've never been. How's the food there?”

Tom chuckled, “Oh, just you wait, darling.” Kate's heart picked up at the affectionate way he seemed to refer to her, loving the way it sounded coming from him. “The food is out of this world. I've been there quite a few times and I’ve never had a bad meal. The atmosphere is cozy and romantic and I've made us reservations towards the back, so it will be on the quieter side and we can eat in peace, rather than deal with the traffic of waiters and guests.”

“It sounds lovely.” Kate smiled, loving how romantic and thoughtful he was.

The drive was just under half an hour, so they continued to talk.  Kate told him about her busy day at the museum the day before, going into detail about the exhibition she had to set up. Tom mentioned that he found out the exact date of when they would start rehearsing for his new theatre gig and made a comment about how busy it would start to be for him,

“With that in mind, would you like to come to my house on Saturday night? I’ll cook you dinner?” Tom asked a little nervously, hoping it wasn’t too soon for something so intimate. Trying to make a joke of it, he added, “Besides, I’ve told Bobby all about you and he can’t wait to meet you.”

Kate giggled, “In that case, how could I refuse?”

When they arrived, Tom mentioned his reservation and they were taken towards the back like he'd said before. As they were lead to their table, Kate looked around in awe at how fancy and beautiful the place was. All of the food on the tables she passed looked scrumptious and she couldn’t wait to eat it! When they were brought to the table, Tom removed his coat and when Kate started to unbutton hers, Tom helped her shrug it off and handed them to the hostess so she could take them to be hung up.

When Tom turned around to look at Kate, he couldn't believe how breathtakingly gorgeous she looked, now he could see her properly with her coat off. Her chocolate brown hair was curled loosely, spilling onto her dress. Her green eyes popped with her dark eye makeup and her lips looked so soft and kissable. The purple suited her perfectly, as did the style of her dress, as it hugged her body deliciously around the waist, flowing down her legs a little more freely. The dress was fitted more up top, showing off the curves of her chest a little, not too much, but enough to drive him crazy. He placed his hand on her lower back, which had a small cut out below the lacey detail where the zipper was, as he guided her to sit. As he turned to walk around to his seat, Kate did some checking out herself.

Tom looked absolutely stunning in blue. His suit was tailored perfectly to his body, hugging him in all the right places. The vest worn under it matched, the black buttons adding nice detail to it, and the white shirt that popped underneath was unbuttoned a couple of notches down. The suit made him look even more lean and tall than he did the first time she’d seen him and she couldn't stop staring when he walked from her to sit in the chair across the table. Her mind briefly went to his backside, to the moment she saw it bare just last night on the telly.

But when Tom began to speak, she snapped out of it to focus on what he was saying. He ordered them a bottle of wine to start off with before their food orders were taken. Kate ordered something she’d always wanted to try and she had to agree with Tom, the food was amazing.

They talked over dinner, Tom asking Kate what she thought about The Hollow Crown. Kate gushed about her feelings over his film, giving him honest feedback on what she thought about it. They talked in depth about certain scenes, and Tom liked that he could talk to her about these things and she was able to keep up and actually hold her own. He also explained how some of the scenes were done and shared stories on some of the funny things that had happened on set with some of the other cast members, including some bloopers of his own, which made her laugh.

After they'd finished the main course, Tom sent for a large slice of cake for them to share. Like Tom, Kate loved cake and she couldn't pass it up. He liked that about her, that she didn't worry about keeping up with some Hollywood standard and passing up the things she loved to eat to stay slim and trim.

Their time at The Ivy was ending and Tom didn't want to part from her so soon. When he checked the time as they were preparing to leave, he realized it was still decently early in the night, so he ran an idea past Kate. He was nervous she might be ready to go home, that she'd make up an excuse to get out of it if he asked, but he was willing to take that risk, in the hope that she'd say yes.

He turned to face her when they got outside, “Take a walk with me?” He asked her with pleading eyes.

Kate smiled, to his relief, nodding eagerly. She hadn't wanted to end the night either and she was dreading going home so early, as she wanted to spend more time with him. She'd only seen him twice, but she was quickly beginning to really like this guy. There was something there between them and she hadn't felt this happy in a long time.

They began to walk down the sidewalk and Tom led her to a nearby lit up garden for impressive scenery. Kate grabbed onto his arm excitedly at one point, as she directed his attention at something she’d seen. His heart jumped at the sudden gesture, desperately hoping she wouldn't let go for a long time.

It was beginning to get a bit colder as the temperature dropped, as to be expected halfway through the Fall. Tom wasn't complaining as Kate held him tighter while she talked. He glanced over at her, thinking how cute she was as her mouth moved and her hand gestured enthusiastically like his did when he explained things. He thought about how much in common they had and how similarly they acted. He couldn't recall a time where he had met someone as compatible to him as Kate was. At this point in time, he was mentally thanking the gods for the website that set him up with the most amazing woman he'd ever met.

His thoughts broke when she shivered, the motion shaking his arm. Kate looked up and apologized with a sheepish smile and he thought it was the most adorable thing.

He smiled at her affectionately and pulled his arm away from her so he could slide it around her shoulders, holding her closely at his side as they walked. “Don’t apologize, darling. If you're cold, I'll keep you warm.” He teased and the thought made her shiver again. “Shall I call a cab? It's not getting any warmer and I don't want to keep you out too late if you’ve got work in the morning.”

She mentally cursed at how right he was, despite her wanting to continue to stay out with him. It was Thursday and she still had another day at work before she was off, but now she had Saturday night to look forward to. She reluctantly agreed to call it a night, so Tom called a taxi and they began to walk towards the entrance to wait for it to arrive.

“Tom?” Kate grabbed his attention as he turned to face her. He gazed into her eyes as she looked at him softly with those warm, inviting eyes of hers. “Thank you for tonight, I’ve had the best time. I can’t tell you how long it’s been since I've been on such a romantic date.” She admitted, looking down at his chest as she laughed softly, embarrassed.

He surprised her when his fingers lifted her chin, tilting her face up to look at him. Saying it before he could chicken out, he had a confession of his own. “I like you, Kate. We have this connection that I feel growing stronger and I'd really like to keep seeing you more, if you'll allow me to.” Dropping his hand, he gave her time to respond.

Kate's heart was quickening at his words and she felt like it would explode out of her chest. Butterflies thrashed around at his confession and she couldn't be happier. “I'm feeling the same.” She replied, breathlessly.

As he studied her face, taking in her pink tinted cheeks and the enticing way her lips parted, he had this uncontrollable urge to kiss her. He wanted to hold her body against his, feel her warmth and take it all in as he got drunk off of her lips like he nearly did the other night.

When he leaned down, Kate’s eyes fluttered closed in the anticipation of his kiss. As his lips pressed against hers, he sighed, snaking his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him.

Kate grasped the sleeves of his coat, curling her fingers around it, feeling the soft material bunch in her grip as she kissed him back.

Tom slid his hands up her back, deepening the kiss as Kate wrapped her arms around his neck. When he swiped his tongue along her bottom lip, she happily allowed him into her mouth, enjoying the taste of wine leftover on his tongue. She felt content, standing there in his arms. She could have stayed like that with him all night, if it weren't for the cold night nipping at her nose and fingers and if the damn taxi hadn't shown up.

Tom sighed, breaking away from her mouth and resting his forehead against hers. “Shall we?” He whispered, just as disappointed in the interruption as she was.

“Yeah…” Kate steadied her breathing, following him into the back of the taxi as he grabbed her hand. He gave the driver the address to her flat and he sat back next to her.

Tom intertwined his fingers with Kate’s as his other hand fiddled with one of the buttons on his coat. His mind was racing, as he battled with himself. Their kiss just now had got him all riled up and he wanted more, but he was scared that if he started kissing Kate again, he wouldn’t be able to stop there. But he didn’t want to push her into anything or make her uncomfortable, or even worse make her think that was all he wanted from her. But he couldn’t stop thinking how amazing her mouth felt against his. He drew in a heavy breath and glanced across at Kate, who blinked up at him and smiled shyly. Little did he know she was having a similar struggle.

She had never been so desperate for someone as she was for Tom right now. The way he kissed her had set her whole body on fire, and all she wanted to do was pull him back in and explore his mouth further. Not just his mouth… God, what would he say if she invited him into her flat when he dropped her off? She didn’t want him to think she was easy, and that she did this sort of thing so soon with everyone she’d dated. She just couldn’t think sensibly when it came to Tom.

“Is it a little warm in here?” She mumbled, moving to remove her coat as she let out a breath of relief when she shrugged her arms out.

“A bit.” Tom laughed nervously, following suit in taking off his coat, too. He took her coat and set it on top of his on the other side of him. His hand brushed hers, settling itself on top as he shifted uncomfortably in his inner battle to fight to ignore all thoughts about kissing her silly. She was just so enticing and she smelled so good… he couldn’t help but scoot even closer to her. He turned in towards her slightly, his eyes sweeping up her legs, trailing the front of her dress, up past the delicious curve of her breasts, passing her lips and settling on her eyes.

“Tom…” Her breath hitched from the lustful look in his eyes that he was trying to hold back. A part of her was hoping he would kiss her again, but the other part was pleading with him not to, adamant on keeping her urges at bay. But it was kind of hard to do so when Tom was slowly leaning in toward her, as if she was the other piece of a magnet. If he kissed her now, she would have no power to stop him. But... maybe if it was just a small little kiss…

He softly cupped her cheek, turning it as his lips brushed Kate’s gently, lingering there in a moment of hesitation to continue on. He moved his lips once, twice… Slowly, they kissed, the passion settling in. Their gentle, tentative exchange was about to become something more.

It was that low, barely audible moan vibrating against her mouth, that made it shift. It made Kate's breath come out even harder as she imagined that damn scene again, where his kiss was desperate and hungry and  _lord_ , she wanted that, too. Fire spread throughout her body and it seemed to drive her to slide her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

The force of her arms caused him to lean a little too far and he shot his hand out on the car door to keep him from knocking her into it. In seconds, his arm were sliding around her waist, holding onto her just as tight. He thrust his tongue into her willing mouth and Kate let out a quiet whimper when she felt it slide against hers.

The were probably making the driver uncomfortable with their display of untamed passion in the backseat, but neither of them cared at this point.

The sound of Kate made Tom feel even hotter than before. He lifted her slightly to scoot her back, pressing her back against the door with a needy moan. His hand coming around to fondle her breast over her dress as he kissed on her neck, peppering kisses there to draw out more beautiful breathy moans from her mouth. Kate’s fingers delved into his hair, running through it as she shuddered from his touch.

The driver cleared his throat once again, mumbling something neither of them were paying any mind to. All Kate could think about was the hand that came to rest on her knee, squeezing it and sliding upwards, and oh God, she didn't want it to stop. Tom didn't want to either.

“Excuse me, but we're here.” The driver said a little louder this time, yet his tone was still timid.

Tom froze, his voice was like a bucket of cold water, being dumped on the moment. He pulled his lips away from hers, his face lingering closely as they panted hard. He helped Kate sit upright again before unwillingly letting go of her so they could put their coats back on. Tom assisted Kate in buttoning her coat when he noticed she was having a hard time focusing on it, before she opened the door. He leant forwards and tapped the driver on the shoulder,

“Give me one minute.”

He looked back to Kate, “C’mon, I’ll walk you to your door.”

They climbed out the car and Tom offered Kate his arm for the short walk to the door to her building. As they approached, they slowed down and stopped, turning to face each other. This time Tom knew if he kissed her again there would be no way he could stop, so he ran his hand through his hair and smiled at her,

“So, I’ll see you Saturday then?”

Kate nodded with a shy smile, “You will.”

Tom stepped forwards and bent down, kissing her chastely on the cheek, “Looking forward to it already.” He whispered in her ear.

 

* * *

 

There was a definite spring in Kate’s step as she breezed into the office the next morning. Roxy watched as she sat down at her desk and started up her computer, humming to herself.

“Good evening?” She asked.

Kate looked up at her and a mile wide grin spread across her face, “It was the best ever!”

“So where did he take you?”

“The Ivy.” Kate replied with a grin.

Roxy started at her wide eyed, “The  _Ivy_? Wow.”

Kate thought for a minute, “Rox, do you know who Tom Hiddleston is?”

Roxy visibly swooned, “Erm, Yeah? He’s gorgeous…” She trailed off as Kate looked at her, raising an eyebrow. She leapt off her chair and threw her hands to her face as realisation hit her, “Oh my GOD, Kate!! Tom Hiddleston!!  _Your_  Tom is Tom Hiddleston??”

“Yes!” Kate giggled as her friend started flapping her hands in excitement, “But don’t go blabbermouthing this to everyone! We’ve only been out twice!”

“I can’t believe this!! You’re going out with Tom frickin Hiddleston! Is he a good kisser? Oh my god, have you slept with him? Apparently, he’s got a massive --”

“No Roxy!” Kate cut her off mid sentence, “I haven’t slept with him!” Though the thought sent her mind spinning and at this point, she wanted to.

Roxy’s eyes lit up, “Kate, you  _have_  to get him to dress up in his Loki outfit! Damn, all that leather.”

“Loki?” Kate questioned, racking her brain for which character of his that was. Suddenly she remembered the pictures from Google the other night and she swallowed. Tom  _did_  look really good in leather.

“You remember those movies that you said weren’t your kinda thing? You might want to change your mind about that.” Roxy said with a wink.

Kate knew what she would be doing that evening when she got home.

As Kate finally stumbled through her front door, and kicked her shoes off, her phone started to ring in her bag.

“Shit.” She cursed, tripping over the shoes she’d just removed in her rush to answer it. She rummaged in her bag and swiped the screen across, “Tom! Hey!”

“Hello! I haven’t caught you at a bad time have I? You sound out of breath.”

Kate sat down on the sofa, “I’ve just got home. It’s been a crazy busy day at work.”

She frowned at the background noise she was picking up from his end of the line, “Where on earth are you? It sounds like an airport.”

She heard Tom sigh, “It is.”

“What?” She questioned. Where was he flying to? They had a date tomorrow.

“Look, I’ve been called to New York for a last minute meeting. I’m really sorry but I’m gonna have to take a rain check on tomorrow night’

“Oh…” Kate replied, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice

“I’m so sorry darling. I’ll make it up to you, I promise. I’ll be back at the end of the week, so let’s reschedule for next Saturday?”

“Yeah, okay.” She agreed.

They chatted for a few more minutes, Kate doing her best to stay upbeat even though inside she wanted to cry. The thought of not seeing Tom for a week was getting to her a lot more than it probably should when they barely knew each other. When Tom had to go to check in, they said goodbye and Kate hung up, throwing her phone down on the sofa and huffing. As she got changed into her comfiest tracksuit bottoms and hoodie, her brain started to over analyse things. Was Tom really busy? Perhaps he’d lost interest in her and was trying to let her down gently. Had she done something wrong last night? Oh god, what if she’d gone too far in the back of the taxi and now Tom thought she was too keen?

The more Kate thought about it, the sillier she felt for even thinking that way. He seemed just as into it as she was. When they looked at each other after they'd been interrupted, the intensity behind his eyes made her head spin. She remembered his reluctant release of her when they had to exit the taxi and it made her feel a little better, but she couldn't help the slight paranoia that lingered in her mind.

In an attempt to push out the negative thoughts from her head, she poured herself some wine and made herself something quick to eat so she could start her newest binge of Tom's Marvel films, unable to fight her curiosity any longer on the hype over this God of Mischief character of his.

Recalling her conversation with Roxy over the order she should watch that particular set of films, she selected the first Thor movie and sat back against the couch with her dinner.

Tom's first appearance on the screen was exciting. The way he set up the playfulness of Loki's personality was mesmerizing. As the story carried on, she felt herself inexplicably drawn in, from the on-the-edge-of-your-seat fight scene that showcased only a small portion of the trickster god's powers, the emotional encounter he had with Odin about his true heritage, to his charismatic bad boy attitude through the rest during his encounter with Laufey, the way he flaunted his brief King status. When she reached the end, she felt emotional over the bridge scene and had to immediately start the next one. She wanted more and boy, did she get it.

After surviving the initial shock of the state Loki appeared to be in from the beginning, she felt her breath leave her lungs when Loki walked down the stairs in his black suit with his scepter in hand. Checking him out from head to toe, the confident strut of his drew her attention to the prominent bulge in his pants.

Her mind immediately went to Roxy's unfinished, suggestive comment about Tom's size and  _oh lord_ , now she was thinking about it.

She tried to refocus back on the movie as the crowd of people began to scream, drawing her attention back to what was going on. When Loki's clothes shimmered into green and gold armor, she let out a gasp. He was so incredibly sexy and powerful looking in his new full set if armor. Once he began to speak, she was a goner.

She was hooked now. The exciting fight scenes, the sarcastic sass coming from Loki’s mouth throughout the whole movie, the tear jerking exchange between him and his brother at the Stark Tower, and the cliffhanger at the end; what would become of Loki once Thor had taken him back to Asgard?

And that  _leather_. Roxy had been right; he was a vision in leather. Kate was obsessed with his suit and obsessed with Loki, now. She went to to start Thor: The Dark World when she realized how late it was. Biting her lip, she was torn between watching it anyway and going to bed. When she let out a yawn, she had decided. Tomorrow, she'd find out what happened.

But first, Kate took the opportunity of a free weekend to give her flat a top to bottom clean, so she could comfortably enjoy the rest of the movies and not feel guilty for not doing a single productive thing while she was off. She turned her music up and sang along loudly as she worked her way around the flat, dusting, hoovering and tidying up each room in turn. It also helped to take her mind off of Tom, as she continued to torture herself with doubt about their future.

She hated putting away her clean clothes, it was her least favourite job. So when that was all she had left to do she decided to have a break and a cup of tea, trying to put the task off for as long as possible. Clutching her steaming mug, she sat down on the sofa and picked up her phone. She groaned as she realised she’d missed a call from Tom. He’d left her a voicemail, so she dialed her mailbox and listened to his familiar voice,

“Hey Kate, I was just calling to say hi. I hope you’re having a good weekend… I’m going to be in and out of meetings this afternoon but if you want to give me a call back it would be nice to have a chat.”

Kate hung up and immediately dialed Tom’s number, but it rang until his own voicemail cut in,

Kate sighed, “Hi, it’s Kate. Sorry I missed your call… I’d really like to talk to you too, so ring me back if you can.”

She spent the evening in her usual position on the sofa, watching the premiere of a show she'd been waiting to come on for months and clutching her phone in her hand in case Tom called. She stayed up until midnight waiting for a phone call but Tom didn’t ring her back and she went to bed feeling miserable. When she woke up the next morning she immediately checked her phone again to see Tom had called only about half an hour after she went to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Tom woke up on Sunday and looked at the clock to realise he’d overslept, his first meeting of the day was scheduled to start in just over half an hour. He cursed to himself as he leapt out of bed and dashed to the bathroom to grab a quick shower before he had to leave. He’d wanted to try and call Kate again this morning before he went out but now he had overslept he was going to have no time to talk to her. He made it to his meeting only five minutes late, but within half an hour of it starting his phone began vibrating in his pocket. He tried to be subtle as he slid it out his pocket to see who was phoning him. It was Kate. He considered excusing himself to step outside and take the call but in the few seconds he took to think it over, Kate had rung off. It wasn’t until much later that day when he finally got back to his hotel that he had time to try and call her back. He checked the time and realised that it was after eleven o'clock in the UK. But he was tired and antsy, and he  _needed_  to hear her voice. He pressed call and lifted the receiver to his ear, praying she would pick up. He sighed as once again her voicemail cut in,

“Hi, it’s me again. We keep missing each other, don’t we? I’ve got a few hours free tomorrow afternoon which should be about eight o'clock your time, so I’ll call you then, okay? No, actually I’ll FaceTime you. Have a good day at work…”

When Kate listened to his voicemail the next morning, she both wanted to cry and to squeal. She’d missed yet another one of his phone calls, which was frustrating, but he wanted to have a video chat with her! Tonight!

With a time set in stone, she made sure she was ready for him. Feeling the pressure of their first video call, she decided to doll herself up a little. She waved her hair in a casual, yet pretty style, she touched on her make up and she made sure to wear something cute.

As the time neared, Kate let out a nervous breath as she settled back on the couch, sipping her wine and staring at her phone, which was lying on the table in front of her. When Tom's picture lit up the screen and she yelped, fumbling to place her wine on the table and pick up her phone, willing her hands to still so the picture wasn't shaky on both of their ends as she answered the call.

When Kate's face came into view, Tom couldn't hold back the enormous smile that spread across his face. “Kate!”

“Hello Tom! It's nice to finally be able to have a chat!” Boy, did he miss that smile. God, she looked incredible for a Sunday evening in.

Tom laughed, “Yeah, I'm sorry it's been so difficult, with my schedule and everything…” He trailed off, thinking about how much running around he had to do in the short time he'd been there.

“I-It's okay, really! It's not your fault. You're there for a reason and you can't just drop everything for me.”

“If I could though, I really would.” He sighed, “I missed talking with you over the past couple of days. Does that sound crazy?” He put himself out there, hoping he wasn't the only one. But her answer was music to his ears.

“No, I feel the same way. I… I realize we've only been talking for a short amount of time, but I…” She looked down, laughing through her nose as she blushed. God, she was cute.

“We have a connection, Kate. I feel it, too.”

She looked up at his words and they shared a moment as their eyes locked. Tom would have reached out to kiss her at this point if he'd actually been there. His mind drifted to the kiss they shared the last time he'd seen her and it probably would have progressed to that intensity, too.

He cleared his throat and shifted on the bed uncomfortably, and changed the subject to get his mind off of the kiss that was beginning to work him up. But while he was listening to her, his mind wandered off when she leaned over to grab her wine in front of her. He had a pleasant view of the curves of her breasts with how she was bent.

The feeling of how she felt in his hand resurfaced and he tugged on his jeans, which began to feel tight as he was hit with a sudden desire to have his hands all over her… his mouth… his tongue…

He was powerless to stop the mental images and he nearly moaned aloud when he thought about what would have happened if Kate had invited him up to her place. Tom wanted her so bad at this point, she had no idea.

He was in quite the predicament. Here she was, trying to have their first actual conversation in days… and all he could think about was her naked, moaning underneath him. His cock twitched at the thought and he swallowed hard, trying to control the thoughts that were flooding his brain.

Tom was somehow able to carry on a bit longer, but it wasn't without struggle. They flirted a little and it made him want her even more, if that were possible. The little smirk that spread across her face, the way she giggled when he'd said something funny.

When they ended the call, as much as he loved talking with her and seeing her beautiful face, he was relieved. She was tempting him more and more as the conversation went on.

Tom draped his hand over his eyes with a sigh. What was he going to do? He still had a couple of days until he'd be home and have her over at his place. He'd have her alone. No people, no taxi driver, no interruptions...

He reached over to set the phone down on the nightstand with a groan. His jeans were beginning to get so tight they were uncomfortable.

He glanced at the clock. There was about thirty minutes until his taxi would arrive to pick him up for dinner. With how worked up he was, he was sure a mishap was bound to happen while he was out and the paparazzi that was sure to spot him would be taking pictures. Like the world needed more pictures on the bulge of his pants, they had enough already.

Tom began to palm himself over his jeans, his eyes closed and he relaxed against the headboard. Kate's face popped into his mind and his breath hitched when his last particular brush of his hand felt so good…

He fumbled with the button of his jeans, yanking down the zipper impatiently and shoving the material out of the way. Peeling back his boxers, his hardened cock sprung free from the confining material.

He gasped as he gripped himself, flexing his wrist to stroke up and down in a languid pace. He drew in a deep breath, and let it out through his nose in relief.

Kate was doing this for him in his mind, teasing, gentle movements to work him up. That sly smile stretching on her face as he surrendered to her soft touch. He would reach out to touch her chest and she'd lightly slap his hand away, “ _Ah, ah, ah… So impatient…_ ”

He groaned, gradually moving a little quicker as those soft little moans of hers echoed in his ears… God, if only she were here with him now… he'd take her into his lap and kiss her so hard it'd make her head spin. Her clothes would be off and scattered around them in seconds. How quick he'd sink her down him, holding her tightly as he bucked his hips in desperation.

He was moaning now, muttering her name between the thrusts of his hand. The tension was building, ready to burst at any moment until he loosened his grip, edging himself, backing off just as he thought he might lose it.

This would be the point where he'd flip their positions, settling her onto the mattress as he slammed back into her. She would be moaning his name, unable to keep quiet.

His body tensed up, just a couple more tugs and he arched back, pressing his head against the headboard. He let out a string of breathy moans, his wrist slowing down once the pulsing of his cock had calmed. Another deep breath left his lungs, this time of satisfaction and he relaxed as his chest heaved.

“Fuck…” Tom sighed, running a hand through his hair, looking down as he now became aware of the hot, wet feeling on his stomach, all the way up to his chest. Guess he was going to have to change his shirt before he went out…

Now while his body was somewhat satisfied, his heart was not. Never had he felt so homesick than he did now, and Kate had everything to do with it.


	4. Driving Me Crazy

Kate busied herself for the first half of the week as she waited for Tom. She threw herself into a new project at work, she went out for drinks with Roxy and a couple other friends on Tuesday and she had plans to have Zack over on Wednesday.

He was going to bring pizza on his way over and he’d agreed to watch Thor: The Dark World with her, since she hadn’t gotten the chance yet and she was dying to watch it.

When her mobile rang, she fully expected it to be Zack with an excuse on why he was running late, but excitement bubbled in her chest when she saw that it was Tom instead! “Tom! How are you?”

“A bit tired today darling, but good otherwise. How has your day been?”

Kate sighed when she thought about the answer to his question, “Quite busy, actually. I’ve been working on something new at the museum and it’s taken a lot of work. But it’ll be so worth it in the end!” Kate got up from the couch and wandered into the kitchen to grab herself a bottle of water. Her throat felt unusually parched today from her busy schedule at work, she had a lot of correspondence to do today with multiple people to make sure everything went as smooth as possible. “How has your day gone? Attend anything fun today?”

“I had an interview this morning with GQ this morning and I’m to go back in about an hour to do a shoot.”

Oh God. She loved pictures from GQ Magazine. “Really?” She couldn’t hide the enthusiasm in her voice. “What is the theme? Is there a theme?”

Tom chuckled, thinking she sounded so cute getting worked up over the idea of him getting his pictures taken. “Yes there is, as a matter of fact. I’m going to go round and pose in front of different New York landmarks. So we’ll get the Chrysler building, statue of liberty, the Met Art Museum, the Broadway Theatre, the Opera Theatre…”

Kate swallowed, taking on a second to envision Tom posing in front of all of those famous buildings in fancy suits. “Wow… well, I can’t wait to see them!”

“Well,  _I_  can’t wait to see  _you_.”

Kate nearly choked on the water as she took a sip from the bottle. Damn, he was smooth. She giggled out of embarrassment. “You’ll see me in three days. Think you can wait that long at least?” She teased, deciding to flirt back. She set her bottle of water down on the counter and started to walk into the hallway.

“Keep wearing what you wore the other night and I might just have to come back early.” Tom quipped in a playful tone.

A smirk slowly took hold of her features and her cheeks tinted a little darker. “Well… let me just go change and–” Kate was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Oh! Hang on a second!” She put the phone down on the cabinet, rushing over to the door to open it.

Tom heard her feet moving across the wooden floor and a door open. “Hey cutie.” Tom heard an unfamiliar voice on the other end in the distance and he frowned. Was she having a guy over?

“You’re late! And in trouble! You were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago! It better not be cold!” Kate scolded and there was laughter coming from deeper voice.

A door closed and Kate’s voice got closer to the phone before it came across loud and clear. “I’m sorry, but I’ve gotta go!”

“You have company over then?” He prodded, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Yeah, Zack came over. We’re going to have a bit of pizza and watch a movie!”

“Oh…” Tom should have been relieved at the mention of her best friend’s name, but somehow he was still disappointed. Quickly, he brightened his tone so he didn’t make her feel bad. “Well, right then, so I’ll chat with you later. Have a good time!”

“Bye!” When Kate hung up, Tom tossed his phone onto the table with a sigh.

His stomach swirled with anxiety and he groaned, leaning back in his chair and running his hands down his face. What was wrong with him? It wasn’t like him to get jealous over someone like this. Then again, Kate wasn’t just  _someone_. But she’d cut their conversation short the moment Zack had arrived. Tom had been so looking forward to speaking to her and he felt annoyed that Zack had ruined it all, interrupted them.  

He couldn’t help it as his mind drifted to them huddled up on the couch as they watched their movie, sharing the same blanket, all it could take was some wine and a wandering hand and suddenly he was taking her to bed. Would he be spending the night? He wondered if anything had ever happened between them. Kate hadn’t mentioned that they had a past as anything other than friends, and he didn’t think it was really his place to ask, but now he couldn’t get the image of them together out of his head and it was sending him crazy with jealousy. It should be him curled up on the sofa with Kate watching a movie, not Zack. God, he just wanted to go home.

When Kate put the phone down on the counter, she was smiling at it and Zack raised an eyebrow as he filled his plate with Pizza. “Let me guess… Tom?” Kate’s sheepish smile gave it away and Zack rolled his eyes. “Do you guys talk every day?”

Kate transferred her Pizza onto her plate and grabbed her drink, following him into the living room to sit down. “Not every single day, but…”

Zack leaned over, knocking her shoulder lightly with his as he teased her, “You’ve got it bad for this guy, don’t you?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that, I mean I like him, sure…” Kate avoided his gaze as she took a bite of her pizza, picking up the remote and aiming it at the telly.

“Have you had sex with him yet?”

Kate’s eyes widened as she choked on the pizza she was chewing in her mouth. Zack patted her back firmly, helping to dislodge the piece of food before Kate whipped her head in his direction, “What? What sort of a question is that?”

Zack grinned, “A simple one.”

“Wh–I-I am not talking about that with you!” Kate stuttered, visibly flustered as her cheeks flushed.

“Why not? I’m your best friend! You can tell me anything and everything, remember?” He brought up the same words she had spoken to him years ago when he was going through things in his life and had refused to tell her.

“Fine.” She huffed. “I haven’t yet. Happy?”

“Yet…” He repeated and pointed at her with smirk, “So you want to, then?”

Kate fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat, slapping his hand away. “Zack!”

He bit his lip, watching as his stare made Kate more and more uncomfortable, holding back his laughter before he couldn’t any longer. He threw his head back and shook, while Kate glared at him. “I’m sorry, Kate. It’s just too cute when you get all flustered!”

“Well, I’m glad  _someone_  is enjoying it.” She cleared her throat and returned her attention back to the telly, “Now can we please get on with the movie?”

He tried composing himself, doing his best to stop laughing “Sure.” Kate pressed play and the movie began to start. “But if you moan even once, I’m turning it off.”

Kate shot him a glare, “Who says I’m going to moan?”

Zack’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Loki tends to evoke those types of responses out of women.  _Trust me_ , I once had a girlfriend who was obsessed with him and she used to act absolutely bonkers with her friend whenever they saw anything to do with him.”

Kate rolled her eyes. “Look, he’s hot, but I’m not going to–”

“Oh, look, it’s your boyfriend in chains.” Zack gestured toward the screen and Kate heard the clinking noise coming from the telly. She glanced over and her mouth dropped open as the camera slowly drew up on that familiar, delicious leather suit.

“Oh my.” What a sight that was. She did nearly moan when she got a close up of the suit and Loki started off with his sassy dialogue when speaking with Odin.

“You were saying?” Zack chuckled and Kate shoved his arm with a shush as her eyes stayed glued to the screen. Determined not to prove Zack right, she spent the whole movie biting at her fingernails in an attempt to stop herself from audibly swooning over Loki.

It was pretty late when the movie finished and with both her and Zack having to be at work the next day, he left almost straight away leaving Kate alone with a mind full of Tom, leather and chains. She cleared away their plates before deciding it was probably time for bed. Once she’d brushed her teeth and washed her face, she wandered into her bedroom and lay down on her bed, propping herself up on one elbow and unlocking her phone. She was about to drop Tom a text to say sorry she’d had to cut their conversation short earlier and say goodnight, when an idea popped into her head. Kate smiled smugly to herself and looked down at the flannel shirt she was wearing. She unfastened a couple of the buttons so it revealed a subtle amount of cleavage and a hint of her black lace bra, and opened the camera on her phone.

 

* * *

 

 

Tom was  _frozen_. He was currently standing on the top deck of an open top sightseeing bus, with the Statue of Liberty behind him, and the breeze blowing off the Hudson River was bitterly cold. He did his best not shiver as the photographer moved all around him, taking shots of Tom from different angles. Finally he seemed satisfied and Tom was able to move back to the lower deck for the journey to their next destination. He shrugged his thick overcoat on as one of the crew handed him a hot cup of tea and took a seat, pulling his phone out his pocket to find he had a picture message from Kate. Tom took a sip of his tea as he opened it. His eyes went wide and he nearly choked on the drink, coughing as he stared at the picture displayed on screen of Kate laying on her bed smiling seductively with her shirt unbuttoned just enough to display the curve of her breasts, and a hint of her black lace bra. Underneath she’d written  _So are you coming back tonight?_

He dropped his phone on the seat next to him and closed his eyes, tipping his head back and taking a couple of deep breaths. This trip really needed to be over soon. He needed to be back in the UK, and he needed it to be Saturday night. He grabbed for his phone and studied the photo again, raising his eyebrows. This girl really knew how to get under his skin and get him all worked up. He cleared his throat and tugged at the tie around his neck to loosen it, undoing the first two buttons of his shirt as heat spread through his body. He slipped his overcoat off again as his temperature continued to rise.

“Two can play that game.” He mumbled, taking another sip of his tea and standing up. He moved to the back of the bus where all his suits were laid out for the shoot. He had to get changed anyway for the next location so he figured it was a perfect opportunity to respond to Kate’s message. He shrugged his suit jacket off and pulled his tie undone so that it hung loosely around his neck. He unbuttoned his shirt all the way down, and picked his phone up, holding it out in front of him so that he could get the whole of his upper body in the shot, his bare chest visible through his open shirt. He sent it to Kate before he could change his mind and bottle out, quickly typing,

Tom:  _Still shooting at the moment! But believe me if I could, I’d be on a plane home right now!_

Kate:  _2 days xx_

Two days too long as far as Tom was concerned.

Tom:  _You better bring your toothbrush and your pyjamas with you on Saturday xx_

Kate:  _I don’t wear pyjamas ;) xx_

Tom exhaled loudly, leaning his forehead against the cold glass of the bus, closing his eyes. Two days… He just had to get through two more days.

 

* * *

 

 

Kate woke up ridiculously early on Saturday morning, her subconscious screaming at her that today was the day that she got to see Tom again. She grabbed for her phone to check for messages from Tom, knowing he’d been due to land back in the UK in the early hours of that morning. Sure enough she had a text from him at a little after two o'clock in the morning saying that he’d landed and was on his way home and he’d call her once he’d had some sleep.

Scrolling back up through their messages she found herself gazing at the picture he’d sent her again. It was still as breathtaking now as it had been when she’d first received it. He was just the right mix of slim but muscular. God, she desperately wanted to run her tongue along the grooves of his abs, down to the scattering of hair that disappeared below the waistband of his trousers. Her stomach flipped in anticipation of what might happen later. After their text exchange that day, she was pretty sure that they both wanted more from each other. They’d both been quite bold with the things they’d said but even being in different countries, the tension had been building between them ever since their kiss in the taxi the previous week.

Kate lay in bed for a while longer thinking over what the day would bring before she decided to get up and run a bath. She used an all over body scrub and put a face mask on, determined to look as good as she possibly could for that evening.

She’d just made herself some brunch when Tom called her to make arrangements for later, giving her his address and agreeing on a time for her to arrive. Kate took her time to get ready, making sure her hair and makeup were perfect and choosing to dress smart casual in a pair of black skinny jeans and a pretty semi sheer blouse. She hesitated before slipping her toothbrush into her bag before she left, just in case.

On the walk to Tom’s she stopped at the off licence to buy a bottle of wine, picking one that was slightly more expensive than she would usually choose. By the time she was standing on Tom’s doorstep and ringing the bell, she couldn’t deny she was pretty nervous but equally as excited. Tom opened the door with a big smile,

“Hey, you!” He greeted, leaning forward to kiss her cheek, “Come in, come in!” Ushering her inside, he closed the door behind her and helped her remove her coat, hanging it up on the coat rack by the door.

When Kate turned around, Tom took her in his arms, hugging her. He pulled his head back and placed a lingering kiss on her lips. Until a quickly approaching bark interrupted them.

Kate pulled away and looked down with a gasp. Next to her feet, were two adorable brown eyes staring up at her. She gasped, “Is this Bobby? Oh my gosh, he’s so cute!” She bent her knees and got down around the gorgeous brown spaniel’s height and began to pet him.

Bobby seemed to like her, getting excited as she scratched his ear. “Look at you, you’re adorable!” She giggled when he nosed at her hand, panting happily.

“I knew he’d like you.” Tom chuckled with a grin, his arms folded as he watched them.

Kate took a whiff of the scent of food wafting through the house. It smelled heavenly and made her begin to salivate a little. “Whatever it is that you’re making, smells amazing!” She commented as she stood up.

“Spaghetti Bolognese. But it’s Bolognese like you’ve never had.” He added, holding a finger up.

Kate raised her eyebrows, “Oh, really? I’ll hold you to that.”

Tom chuckled, holding out his hand to which she took, letting him lead her into the kitchen. He took the wine from her and set it on the counter. “I hope you’re hungry, it won’t be long ‘til it’s ready.”

“Starved.” Her eyes lingered on his as she smiled at him. While it was meant as a double meaning, she actually was pretty ready to eat. Her nerves kept her from eating much at brunch, as the butterflies went in crazy in her stomach with the anticipation of seeing him tonight.

Tom let go of her hand so he could move to stir the sauce around in the pot, checking on the noodles and the garlic bread in the oven. While he’d made this so many times before, he had to make sure it was absolutely perfect. He really wanted to impress her, determined to make sure tonight went well. His feelings were rapidly growing for Kate, and he wanted to see about taking another step forward in their relationship.

Kate turned around, leaning against the counter as she watched him cook. Most of her other boyfriends and dates never did these kinds of things for her, so it was refreshing to see Tom was like this. It made her like him that much more.

When Tom glanced over his shoulder, he asked her if there was anything he could get her. She declined until dinner, to which she had some of the wine she’d brought.

Tom was right, the dinner he’d made was so delicious, she nearly asked for seconds. She would have, if she wanted to feel like a balloon ready to pop when she tried to have a conversation with him on couch later on.

Tom had put some light background music on as they chatted, his arm was propped up on the back of the couch, turned slightly to face her as they sat closely.

“So, tell me more about your trip to New York!” Kate urged as she settled into a comfortable position on the couch.

He smiled at her interest in his trip. “Well, other than being there for work, I generally love my trips there.”

“Do you go often?”

“Well, no, not as much as Hollywood and L.A., but I like the atmosphere. New York City is great, it’s always buzzing and there’s always some type of event going on, especially on the weekend. No matter what time it is, there’s always something to do or something to see. It really is the city that never sleeps.” He chuckled, briefly recalling some of the crazy things that he’d seen on his walks around Midtown.

“Gosh, I’ve always wanted to go there! New York seems so lively and exciting! I’d love to go to Times Square and Central Park, maybe a couple of the places you went to, even!” She smiled to herself as she daydreamed about him traveling around on the tour bus, getting to see all those sights she’d been wanting to see herself. “You said you had pictures to show me?”

“Ah, yes!” Tom reached over and grabbed his mobile from the table and swiped the screen until he found the pictures he had taken himself while he went around the city. He shifted closer to her, shuffling through pictures of different places he liked to go to on his visits there. He showed her selfies of the celebrities he met up with in between his meetings and interviews.

“Wait a minute, back up there!”

Tom swiped his thumb back and Kate gasped. “You met up with Chris Evans?!”

Tom chuckled, “And Sebastian Stan, see?” He swiped past two pictures and Kate’s eyes settled on Tom with both Sebastian and Chris. “Gosh, how exciting!” Her eyes lit up as she looked back and forth between the a couple of their pictures. “Looks like you had a lot of fun!”

“Yeah, I quite like those guys. They’re nearly in inseperable, those two. Have you gotten to see them on film together, yet?”

She frowned, “What?”

“They’re in the Captain America movies together.”

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise, “You’re kidding! Oh my God, I had no idea! I guess I’m going to have to watch all of these Marvel movies, because I’m missing a lot.”

Tom laughed, thinking her ignorance to the Marvel films was cute. “You do realize Iron Man and Captain America came before Thor, right? You should probably watch those before the next Avengers movie, it’ll make more sense and you’ll know the characters better. I wouldn’t mind watching them with you sometime. I really liked those movies. They did a spectacular job.”

“That would be great!” Kate beamed and Tom watched as she took a drink of her wine.

God, she looked good. He looked down at the way she was dressed and desire ran through him. The way the buttons of her blouse were undone just below where the lining of her tank top rested was beginning to tease him beyond repair,  the way her shirt shifted when her arm moved. Tom took a drink of his wine and set it down on the table.

Kate met his gaze, beginning to feel nervous and a little self conscious about the way she looked. Tom was giving her that look that he gave her the other night before he kissed her and she prayed he liked how she looked for him.

“So, um…” She cleared her throat. “Tell me what your favorite part of your trip was.”

“Well… Besides coming home, it was when I was on that tour bus, just after I’d finished posing in front of the Statue of Liberty. I received a picture that I quite liked.”

Kate’s breath hitched when he leaned closer, “Yeah? In front of the Statue of Liberty, huh?” She tried to focus on the conversation, but he was making it incredibly difficult being so close like this.

“Mhmm. It was so damn distracting and it drove me crazy. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.” Tom brushed some of her hair behind her shoulder and pressed his lips onto her neck.

His warm breath against her skin made her shiver. Tom kissed her skin slowly and his hand slid around her waist, gently rubbing and squeezing.

Kate closed her eyes, leaning her head to the side with a sigh to give him better access. She nearly dropped her wine glass from her hand as she let herself be seduced by his lips and the sensual touch of his hand.

When a low, drawn out moan rose from her chest, it drove Tom mad with lust. He took the wine glass from her, setting it down on the table before placing his hand on her knee and ran it up the inside of her thigh, stopping mid way as he looked at her for some sign of permission to continue.

“Tom…” Kate stuttered, staring back at him. She grabbed for the collar of his shirt and pulled him towards her, crashing their lips back together. Tom nibbled on her bottom lip as he squeezed her thigh, edging higher. Sparks of arousal started to explode through Kate’s body and she tried to shuffle impossibly closer to him. Throwing caution to the wind, she pushed his chest so he was sat against the back of the sofa and climbed into his lap, straddling him. Tom’s hands moved from her waist around to her back, slipping underneath her blouse as he attacked her neck again, kissing along her collarbones and down towards her breasts.

Her fingers found the buttons of his shirt, quickly gliding down to each one, tugging them open to expose his chest. She ran her hands up and down those delicious curves of muscle, until his lips had reached the ‘V’ of her breasts.

Kate unbuttoned her shirt and Tom helped pull it down her arms, discarding it somewhere behind her. She lifted her tank top over her head next, moaning when his lips returned to her chest, trailing kissed between her breasts, on the exposed skin above her bra as his hands held the curve of her back once more.

When Kate slid her hands around his neck, he lifted his mouth back to hers and his hands were on the backs of her thighs and he was lifting her up with him as he got to his feet. Kate wrapped her legs around his waist as he stumbled away from the lounge towards his bedroom, as his tongue eagerly explored her mouth as she shoved his shirt down his arms, one at a time and let it fall to the floor behind him.

Kate felt him pressing between her legs, so she pulled on his neck, rocking her hips against his. He moaned into her mouth, wondering why it had to take so long to get to his room. He wanted her clothes off so he could taste her, feel her beneath him as she cried out his name.

Tom bumped into the bedroom door, which flew open and kicking it closed so Bobby didn’t disturb them. He set her down on the floor, stumbling back with her, unbreaking their kiss as he reached between them to undo her jeans.

Kate pulled his buckle loose, removing his pants as he did hers. When she was standing there in her matching lacy lingerie, he stepped back to devour her with his gaze. He reached out to touch her with a shaky breath, running his hand along her bra and down her side. “God, you’re beautiful.” He breathed, his chest heaving.

Kate scanned his body, exposed to her now as he touched her. He was so hard and so  _large_ , she wondered if she’d be able to take him all in. The thought was dizzying, but she wasn’t left to think for very long as he closed the already small distance between them, kissing her again. His cock brushed against her panties as he picked her up again, making her moan into his mouth as he moved forward toward the bed, laying her down in the middle.

Tom kissed her ear, sucking on the earlobe before he spoke in a low tone, “I’ve been thinking about doing this all week.” His lips trailed down her neck as he reached underneath her to unhook her bra as her hands went everywhere they could. Kate wanted him just as bad as he wanted her. He slipped her bra off and took her breast into his hand, his lips moving down her chest.

Kate cupped his bum in her hands, grinding her hips against his in a steady rhythm. His mouth vibrated against her nipple once he reached it. The friction felt so good, he couldn’t help but move his own hips and moan against her skin.

He swirled his tongue before placing kisses around the sensitive, hardened bud until he couldn’t stand it any longer. He  _needed_  her. His fingers hooked the edge of her panties, tugging them down hastily and ridding her legs of them. He grabbed her hips, tugging her body down against his, aligning himself at her entrance.

Tom eased himself inside slowly, giving her a few moments to adjust before he moved. As soon as he drew his hips back and pushed forward again, all coherent thoughts left them both.

Their bodies were on fire. Every touch, every thrust, every kiss, every moan made them hotter and hotter, and brought them closer to bliss. The tension that had built between them since their first date was finally breaking as they gave in to their overwhelming desire for the other.

Tom captured her lips in a fiery kiss, whispering for her to let go… It was like fireworks exploding. The moment her walls squeezed his cock, he couldn’t hold it any longer.

Kate broke from his mouth and she called out his name as she surrendered, her toes curled into the mattress, like her fingers that curled against the back of his neck. Tom let out a stuttered breath, stilling as he spilled inside of her. His forehead dropped on hers as they panted, trying to catch their breaths.

Kate kissed him softly, cupping his cheek in her hand while Tom’s went behind her head. He slipped his tongue gently inside her mouth, caressing hers. It was sensual and sweet, and it slowly began to awake her need for him again. His body was fastly becoming addicting to her. The sounds, his curves, the way he moved, everything.

Kate grabbed hold of his arms and rolled them over so she was lying on top of him. Slowly, she rolled her hips against his as she continued to kiss him, running her hands along his sides and his chest.

Tom sighed against her mouth and gently ran his hands up and down her back, letting out a low, drawn out moan as she rocked against him in deep, languid movements. She shifted her kisses to his neck, sucking and planting warm, wet kisses up and down his skin.

She felt him becoming aroused again, hardening beneath her as she continued to rub against him. “Tom…” She breathed into his ear, reaching between them to guide him back inside her.

Kate sank down onto him with ease, moving her hips back and forth as Tom tangled his fingers into the hair, bringing her mouth back up to his. He reached up to squeeze her breast in his hand, kissing her harder when she moved her hips a little quicker. “Yes, Kate, just like–” He gasped, exhaling sharply.

His hands traveled down to her bottom, cupping it firmly as he helped guide her hips rougher against him. She moaned each time he brushed that beautiful spot, with every thrust of her hips.

Tom began to sit up, hands rising up to her shoulders, gripping tightly as she rose and sank down his shaft with a purpose. It wasn’t long before their second wave crashed over them. Kate whimpered against his mouth, shaking as she came with Tom.

They stayed like that for a minute, arms holding each other as they came down from their pleasure high, before collapsing back onto the mattress. They lay facing each other, both smiling widely. Tom reached down and intertwined his fingers with Kate’s, lifting her hand to his mouth and kissing it gently. The combination of wine and sex was making him sleepy. He stifled a yawn and Kate giggled,

“Have I worn you out?”

Tom chuckled, “A little bit.” Suddenly, a thought hit him, “You are staying over, aren’t you?”

Kate stroked the back of her hand down his cheek, “Of course I am!”

Tom shuffled forwards and kissed her, “We should probably get some sleep.”

Kate hummed in agreement, turning over so that Tom could tuck himself in behind her. He kissed her shoulder and whispered, “Goodnight Kate.”

His hand wrapped around her waist as Kate replied sleepily, “Goodnight Tom.”


	5. Paparazzi

The moment Tom’s eyes slowly fluttered open, he thought he was dreaming. It took him a brief recall in his mind of the night before, that Kate was actually here, fast asleep in his arms.

Her hand was resting on his chest with her knee bent, leg hiked up on his. His eyes swept across her naked form and he reveled in it. Sunlight danced across her bare shoulder, illuminating the soft swell her breast, cutting off just below the curve of her bottom.

Tom’s fingers lightly caressed the skin of her back, skimming down the dip of her spine, and coming back up in a soothing, repeated motion.

He watched Kate sleep, letting the gentle rise and fall of her chest against his and the sounds of her soft breathing through her nose soothe his senses, luring him into a state of total bliss as he allowed his eyes to close once more. Gradually, his hand slowed to a stop, naturally dropping to rest on the small of her back.

It was a light sleep, so light that Tom was fully aware when she woke. Her face moved up slightly from its placement on his chest, she exhaled softly through her nose as her eyelids opened, meeting his gaze.

“Good morning.” The backs of his fingers lightly brushed her cheek as she smiled at him.

“Morning.” She mumbled, taking in the sight of his sleepy morning face. His tousled hair, those bright blue eyes that slowly blinked as he gazed at her, and that lazy smile. He was breathtaking.

Tom leaned down to place a soft, brief kiss on her lips. “How’d you sleep?”

“Wonderful.” Kate felt well rested and so content waking up in his arms after their passionate first night together. She tried to ignore the dull ache between her legs as she remembered just how good he made her feel as they laid there for a while, enjoying each others company before they would get up for the day.

“Would you like some coffee?” He murmured, dropping a kiss to her forehead.

“Yes, but… that would mean you would have to get up.” She teased, stroking his chest gently with her fingers.

“I won’t take long.” He promised, moving to rise from the bed. When his tall, naked form stood from the bed, her eyes raked over his backside with lust.

Kate would never understand how she got so lucky as to be matched with someone as caring and as gorgeous as Tom. She didn’t care that he was famous, she didn’t care what kind of connections he had or how much money he had to his name. She was falling, hard and quickly, for the man that he was.

Tom slipped on some sweats and exited the room, making a quick pit stop to the bathroom. He let his dog outside, filled his food bowl, replenished his water and started the coffee. By the time Bobby was ready to come in, the coffeemaker had beeped, signaling that the caffeinated beverage was ready to be poured into the mugs he’d set aside on the counter.

When he laid eyes on the mugs again, he realized he should have asked Kate if she took anything in her coffee. Padding back to the bedroom, he began to ask her, “Hey darling, what do you–” He stopped when his eyes caught a glimpse of Kate lying on her side in the middle of the bed, propped up on her forearm, in nothing but the very shirt she shed frantically from his body the night before. The fabric stopped about a quarter of the way down her thigh, just enough to cover herself. Her fingers fiddled with the button, leveled with her breasts as she looked toward him with a coy smile.

His cock twitched in his pants, seeing her lying there in his shirt. Navy blue looked good on her and heat rushed through his body as his eyes traveled up her exposed legs. Forgetting the coffee, Tom walked toward the bed as she rose to greet him, “It’s a good look for you, Kate.”

She giggled, standing on her knees as she snaked her arms around his neck when he reached the edge of the bed, sliding his hands around to her back. “Oh, really?” She teased.

“Mhmm.” He pulled her forward, placing his lips on hers. The kiss was soft and slow, his tongue slipped inside of her mouth to gently caress her tongue. Drawing his hands to her waist, he rubbed and squeezed them a couple of times before his fingers brushed the buttons of the shirt she was wearing. He took his time, one by one popping the buttons free until the shirt fell open, exposing the crease of her breasts and her stomach to him. He reached up, brushing the fabric out of the way to take her breast into his hand, running his thumb across her hardened nipple in a tease. He smirked at the way she gasped against his lips, arching her back as she leaned into his touch.

Kate moaned against his lips when she realized he was hard, by the brush of the soft cotton of his pants against her stomach.

He gently pushed her to lay on her back, climbing onto the bed to hover over her before leaning down to kiss along her neck. His lips moved toward her throat, going down her chest, kissing and licking the sensitive skin in a tease.

When he moved on down her stomach, her breath hitched as he passed her navel. Just how far was he going to go? The further down he got, the more anxious she became to feel his mouth between her legs.

Tom pushed her legs apart, settling between them. His kisses trailed down her slit, his tongue drawing upwards toward her clit. Kate’s hips bucked off of the bed as she gasped from the sensation. He hooked his fingers around her thighs, holding her still as his tongue ran up and down her slickness, swirling it occasionally. He kept glancing up at her and making eye contact, satisfied that she seemed to be enjoying it immensely.

Kate thought Tom was amazing at it, between the way he used his incredibly long fingers, the way he would hum, sending vibrations through her body, and the rhythm his tongue settled into, driving her quickly to sweet surrender. “Oh God… Tom!” She cried out as he firmly held her still, her hips trying to lift off of the bed as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her.

When he pulled away, he wiped off his glistening mouth with his hand, licking his fingers clean as he moved back up to lay with her.

Kate rolled on her side, “That was incredible.” She placed a lingering kiss on his lips to thank him. “Think we should put off that coffee and have a shower?” She mumbled with a sly smile, having her own agenda in mind as she ran her hand gently down his chest.

“Sounds lovely.” Tom agreed, moving off of the bed and pulling her up with him. Kate locked their fingers and pulled him along, occasionally looking back with a grin.

When they reached the bathroom, Tom stepped into the shower to turn the hot water on. Stepping out, he removed his sweats and went around behind Kate to hook his fingers around the shirt, pulling it off of her arms as he peppered kisses from the back of her neck to her shoulder. Sliding his hands around to her stomach, he pressed her against himself.

Kate turned around in his arms, cupping the back of his neck and pulling his mouth on hers. Tom hummed against her lips in contentment, backing her up into the shower when she deepened the kiss.

He walked them underneath the hot stream of water, getting themselves completely soaked before her back touched the wall. He moved his hands to cup her breasts, kneading and fondling them eagerly as Kate’s tongue slid into his mouth.

Her arms went around his neck, using her body to push him forward. Tom stumbled backward until his back hit the wall. Gently, her fingers skimmed down his chest, toward his stomach.

The anticipation of her hand continuing further nearly made Tom lose his mind. It was moving so slow, he wondered if she’d ever get there, if this was only a tease. By the time she reached him, he was throbbing for her. When she took him into her hand, his breath stuttered and she began to pump him in slow, teasing strokes.

Kate broke away from his lips, moving them to his neck, kissing downward, past his collarbone. When her lips reached his chest and didn’t stop, Tom sighed Kate’s name. “What are you…?” He sucked in a breath when she released him and sank down to her knees before him.

The string of kisses continued downwards until she looked up at him, and their eyes met. Her hair was plastered to her back, wet from the steady stream of water beating down on her backside. “I’m returning the favor.” Kate purred, licking her lips before she pressed them to the tip.

Tom pressed his head against the wall, closing his eyes as she licked one slow, long stripe up his shaft. Back down and up again, she teased him, reveling in the sounds she pulled out of his mouth.

Kate had Tom in the palm of her hand as she continued her torture, only taking the head in, swirling her tongue around it. His breath came out in pants as he looked down at her when she began to finally take him into her mouth. His hand rested gently on the back of her head as she began to ease him further into her mouth, not waiting long before she repeated herself.

Her mouth felt so good around his cock, he gently guided her as she moved forwards and back. She took her time as she fondled his balls with one hand while the other moved in sync with her lips along his shaft.

The urge to take her again, right up against the wall was becoming stronger and stronger the closer he got to release. He had to have her again, and if he didn’t stop her soon… “Kate…” He stuttered, grasping her arm to pull her up.

Tom took her face between his hands and kissed her hungrily, backing her across the shower to another wall, feeling the water beat down on them. He reached down and she moaned as he rubbed her clit, feeling how wet and ready she was for him again.

He grasped the back of her thighs, lifting her up against the wall. Kate whimpered against his lips, holding onto him around his neck and he thrusted into her, relying on the wall to hold her in place as he squeezed her bum.

Even over the sound of water just above them, Tom’s stifled moans could be heard and it was edging Kate closer and closer. He had the sexiest moans she’d ever heard and she couldn’t get enough of them.

She ran her fingers through his wet hair as she grasped onto his shoulders, her tongue dancing with his until he broke away, resting his forehead against hers.

“I’m almost…” Kate could hardly speak, panting heavily.

“Yes, Kate, come for me.” He encouraged breathlessly with a grunt, slamming into her harder.

A couple of those rough thrusts and that was it. They moaned in unison, clutching each other as their bodies released their tension.

Tom’s head dropped down to her shoulder as he took a moment to clear his head before he let her go. He kissed her cheek, then her mouth when her feet touched the floor. “That was…” He inhaled sharply and let it out, “You’re amazing.” He pulled her in for a hug, reaching behind her for the shampoo. Turning the bottle upside down, he squirted a bunch of it on her hair and rubbed it in a little, messing it all up.

“Hey!” She drew back, placing her hands on top of her head to feel the overuse of soap.

Tom’s smile was wide, and he laughed softly at her reaction, which turned into her laughing as well.

The two of them washed up before getting out and putting some clothes on, after Kate found them all. Tom forewent the shirt as he got their coffees ready, which Kate was thankful for. They sat together in the lounge, relaxing and playing with Bobby as they talked for a bit.

“I should take Bobby for a walk.” Tom sighed as he traced circles on Kate’s knee.

“I’ll come with you if you want?” She asked.

Tom’s eyes lit up, “We can take him up to Primrose Hill, he loves running around up there!”

When they finished their coffees, they got up and went back into Tom’s bedroom, getting dressed to go out. Tom lent Kate one of his sweaters to wear as the blouse she’d had on the night before wouldn’t keep her warm in the bitter cold weather. She also stole a scarf from him, and once they were wrapped up warm, they put Bobby’s lead on and headed out into the cold.

Tom reached down and took Kate’s hand as they walked along the pavement and she couldn’t help but smile to herself. He was so affectionate and she loved it, he made her feel so special, like she was the only girl in the world. When they arrived at Primrose Hill, Tom bent down and unhooked Bobby’s lead and he dashed off as they both laughed, watching him run around in circles. They walked a little further and found a bench to sit down on. It was so cold and Kate immediately snuggled against Tom and he put his arm around her, pulling her even closer to him. His other hand reached into his pocket and he produced a tennis ball, throwing it for Bobby who excitedly chased after it, bringing it back and dumping it at their feet ready to be thrown again. Laughing, Kate picked it up and chucked it as far as she could and they watched as he set off in hot pursuit.

“He likes you.” Tom commented, smiling at her

“I like him too.” Kate replied, “He gives good kisses.”

Tom gasped dramatically, “And what about me, Miss Rees? I happen to think I’m a pretty good kisser.”

Kate giggled, “I’m not sure about you… I haven’t quite decided yet.”

Tom wriggled closer to her. “Well how about you come here and let me help you with that decision.”

He leant towards her, but as their lips were about to meet, Bobby yelped impatiently at her feet. They both looked down at him and laughed,

“Look, he’s jealous.” Kate joked, gesturing towards him.

“I’ll have to have a word with him later, let him know that I’m not prepared to share you.”

“Is that so?”

Tom shook his head confidently, “Uh huh. You’re all mine.”

Kate blushed at his boldness. She didn’t mind at all, in fact she was pretty happy to hear him talk like that, and she felt the same. The connection that they’d had since their very first message was growing stronger by the day.

They played with Bobby for a while longer until reluctantly Kate decided she should head home. Tom offered to walk her back so they wandered back towards Camden as Bobby trotted along next to them happily. They talked about Tom’s play that he had coming up. He explained to her that his schedule was going to become even busier, filled with rehearsals and then the actual play itself.

Kate wondered about when she’d get to see him, but remembered he was going to give her a ticket to come and see him and began to get excited about it. “So tell me about your costars! Have you worked with them before, or…?”

Her question immediately made his eyes light up, “Oh yeah, Charlotte Harper! Do you know of her?”

Kate paused a second to think, but she shook her head when she didn’t seem familiar. “No, I don’t think I do.”

“She’s really great. We go way back, I’ve known her since we were at RADA together and it’s fantastic to get to work with her again. I haven’t seen her for a few years, as our schedules haven’t really allowed our paths to cross often, but we were really close back in the day!”

Kate smiled and nodded attentively but she couldn’t help feeling a little uncomfortable at how Tom gushed about this woman. Just  _how_  close had they been? Could they have been more than friends once? Kate felt her stomach flip as she considered the possibility of them having history together. It wasn’t something she felt like she could ask Tom.

She was thankful when they arrived at her flat so they could change the subject, but also disappointed that it meant it was time for them to part. She bent down and rubbed Bobby’s ears affectionately, “See you soon little man.” She laughed as he licked her chin and wiped it with her hand as she stood up and looked at Tom, “So I’ll speak to you later?”

Stepping forward, he slid his hands around her waist, “You can count on it.” He dipped his head and kissed her gently before resting his forehead against hers and smiling at her happily, “Thank you, for an incredible weekend.”

Kate looked up at him, “I had a really nice time.”

“Fancy doing it again sometime?” Tom asked, a hint of cheekiness in his voice.

“Only if Bobby is invited, too.”

Tom chuckled, squeezing her hips and then releasing her, “I’ll call you later.”

He leant forwards one more time, kissed her quickly and then stepped back, giving her a wink before he turned and walked away. Kate watched him go until he rounded the corner and was out of sight, only then unlocking her front door and going inside.

 

* * *

 

 

Kate was walking the short distance from tube to the museum the next morning when her phone started to ring in her pocket. She smiled as Tom’s name lit up the screen, and answered it cheerfully,

“Good Morning!”

“Kate! Listen, we got spotted by some paparazzi yesterday when we were walking Bobby.”

Kate stopped walking, her eyes widening as Tom continued, “But I’ve taken care of it, okay? Just ignore the news.”

“What did they say about us?” She stuttered.

“Darling, you don’t need to worry about that. Like I said, I’ve taken care of it. But if you see any paps don’t speak to them, and if they follow you, don’t go home. The last thing we want is for them to know where you live.”

She immediately looked around, making a mental note to be more aware of her surroundings, “Right… okay.”

They said their goodbyes and Kate rushed the rest of the way into work with her head down, worried that someone was watching her. Luckily, with all the new exhibits they were installing in the museum, she was so busy she didn’t have time to dwell on her conversation with Tom from that morning.

Things seemed to be okay over the next couple of days. Until she left work one night after she helped close up, it was dark and starting to rain so at first she didn’t notice the two men following her. It was only when she stopped to cross the road and looked over her shoulder that she caught a glimpse of the large cameras. Her blood ran cold and she started to panic as she remembered what Tom had told her.

_Don’t talk to them and don’t go home._

She changed her route immediately, starting to walk more quickly as she could sense them still behind her. Luckily, Zack’s flat was quite close to the museum and within five minutes she was pressing urgently on his buzzer as the two men loitered a few yards away, their cameras poised.

Zack opened the door in just some sweatpants, with his hair all ruffled. He’d clearly been napping.

“Hey.” He exclaimed with a surprise, “We didn’t have plans tonight did we?’”

Kate shook her head urgently, “I’m being followed by some paps… Can I please come in?”

Zack’s eyes widened as he glanced around, spotting the two men straight away. He grabbed Kate’s arm and yanked her in, shutting the door quickly behind him.

“What the fuck is going on?” He questioned, rubbing his face to try to wake himself up more.

Kate sighed as she followed him into his kitchen, “Apparently Tom and I got spotted when we were out walking his dog yesterday. I guess there was some article online about us. Tom said he’d taken care of it but he did warn me that they might follow me.”

Zack handed her a glass of wine that he’d just poured, “What did it say?”

She shrugged, “I don’t know. Tom said to ignore it.”

Zack picked up his phone off the counter and opened Google, typing something into the search bar. Kate watched as his eyes scanned the page and he looked back at her

“Tom Hiddleston was spotted looking cozy with an unknown woman late on Sunday morning while he was out walking his dog, Bobby. A spokesperson from Tom’s management confirmed that he and the mystery woman are just friends and that Tom is still single and focusing all his time and energy on his upcoming projects.”

Kate took in what he’d just read to her and she ran her hand through her hair before she looked back to Zack, “Just friends? Are you sure?”

Zack smiled at her sympathetically, moving to slip an arm around her shoulder and giving it a light squeeze, “Sorry doll.”

 

* * *

 

 

Tom was glad to finally be home from a long day of rehearsals. Once he’d had some dinner and a shower he sat down on the sofa for his normal nightly phone call with Kate. When she picked up the phone straight away he could tell there was something not right. She sounded on edge. The familiar feeling of jealousy surged through him when she told him she was at Zack’s.

“I was followed here by a couple of paps.”

Tom groaned and dragged his hand down his face, “Are you okay? Did they say anything to you?”

“No, they just followed me. But Zack’s been watching them out the window and they’ve gone, so he’s about to walk me home.”

And there it was again, that bitter jealous feeling. It shouldn’t be Zack taking care of her, it should be him. This had happened to her because of him, he couldn’t just sit there and let Zack take care of her. Tom flew off of the sofa and started pulling his shoes on, “Just stay there. I’ll come and get you and drive you home.”

“Tom, you don’t have to do that.”

“I do.” He insisted, “I’m leaving now, okay? Just text me Zack’s address and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Fifteen minutes later, he was pulling up at the curb outside Zack’s flat. He watched as the door opened and a well built, dark haired man peered out, seemingly checking that the coast was clear before he stepped to one side and Kate came into view. The man wrapped his arm protectively around her shoulders as he walked towards Tom’s car with her.

That was all it took to have Tom jumping out of the car and holding his arms wide in the hope that Kate would detach herself from Zack and come to him. She seemed to hesitate before cautiously moving towards him and curling into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, glancing over her shoulder at Zack who was watching them, with his arms folded and a completely straight face.

Kate took a step back and looked towards Zack, “Tom, this is Zack. Zack, this is Tom.”

“Hey.” Tom responded politely, holding his hand out with a forced smile.

Zack took it and shook it firmly, just about forcing a smile himself. “Hello Tom.”

Tom was getting the feeling Zack didn’t like him. Maybe he was just protective of her, after all they had been friends for a long time.

“Let’s get you home.” He whispered to Kate. He guided her around to the passenger side and opened the door, closing it behind her once she was seated. Going back around to his side, he glanced back at Zack who was still standing on the pavement watching them, “Nice meeting you, Zack.”

“You too.” he replied curtly, turning and disappearing back indoors. Tom climbed into the car and placed his hand on Kate’s knee,

“Tough night, huh?”

Kate blew out a loud breath, “Yeah…”

Tom watched her for a minute as she stared into her lap, seeming distracted and a little distant. The past couple of days had been a lot for her to suddenly have to deal with, she wasn’t used to dealing with the paparazzi like he was, and he knew more than anyone how exhausting and annoying they could get. Kate was probably stressed and tired. 

He started the engine and pulled away before he spoke again, “So the press contacted my manager for a comment on you. I asked him to say that we were just friends.” He glanced across at her as she nodded once, fidgeting with the sleeve of her coat.

“I did it to protect you.” He added, “I thought if I said that that they wouldn’t hound you, but they did anyway. I’m sorry.” He dropped his hand back to her knee and squeezed it gently, “You mean so much more to me than just a friend, you know that right?”

At his admission Kate visibly relaxed, covering his hand with hers and slotting their fingers together. He could see a hint of a smile teasing at the corners of her mouth as she replied,

“You do, too.”

They drove the rest of the journey back to Kate’s flat in silence, and when they pulled up outside she turned to him with a shy smile, “Would you like to come in?”

Tom sighed and shook his head sadly as Kate looked into her lap, clearly disappointed. He reached out and cupped her cheek, turning her head back towards him, “I would love to come in. But we’ve both had a really tough day and we’re tired. I’m pretty sure that if I come in, we won’t be getting any sleep for a while”

He smiled suggestively and Kate couldn’t help but giggle. “Fine. But I would very much like a kiss before you go.”

Kate’s eyes fluttered shut as Tom leaned forwards and pressed his lips softly against hers for a second before he tilted his head and deepened the kiss, his tongue pushing into her mouth needily. Kate grabbed a fistful of his jacket, kissing him back, sliding her tongue against his.

“I have to go.” Tom mumbled into her mouth. Kate kept a grip on him and when he made no effort to pull away, she nibbled gently on his bottom lip as her other hand slid up his thigh. Tom moaned quietly and placed his hand over hers, lifting it from his leg and releasing her mouth so he could kiss it, “I  _really_  should go… and so should you. Go get some sleep. I’ll ring you tomorrow.”

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning when Kate emerged from the tube station to head to work, she noticed Zack leaning against a wall, waiting for her she assumed as he smiled when he saw her walking towards him.

“What are you doing here?”

Zack draped his arm around her shoulder as they started to walk towards the museum, “Thought I’d come and check on you, make sure you got to work safely.”

“Thanks.” She gave him half a smile, sliding her hand around to his side. Zack was honestly the most caring and attentive best friend, despite his playboy lifestyle. She could confidently say she could one hundred percent rely on him to always be there for her when she needed him.

They walked in silence part of the way as Kate drifted off into deep thought, until Zack squeezed her shoulder, “You alright?”

“I am, yeah.”

“So did loverboy manage to talk his way out of your bad books?”

Kate rolled her eyes, “ _Tom_  explained why he told the press we were just friends. He only did it so they wouldn’t bother me, to protect me”

Zack smirked and shook his head, “He could tell you the world was flat and you’d believe him”

Arriving outside the museum, Kate turned to him, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Zack was about to answer her when they were interrupted by Roxy arriving,

“Hey you guys!”

Clearly glad to be able to change the subject, Zack greeted Roxy enthusiastically before making his excuses and dashing off, leaving Kate to fill Roxy in on the events of the last twelve hours as they walked through the museum corridors to their office. She found herself having to defend Tom when Roxy frowned upon hearing about the ‘friends’ story,

“Look, I guess I kind of understand why he said that, but… Just be careful, okay? I know how much you like him and I’d hate for you to get hurt.”

“Thanks Rox, but I’m okay. Tom’s going to call me later. We’re fine.”

By the time Kate went to bed that night, Tom hadn’t rung. He hadn’t even replied to her text and she tried not to think anything of it. She also tried not to get upset when he had only sent her a couple of brief texts by the time the weekend rolled around and passed, she felt like she was going to go crazy.

She missed him. She missed his voice, she missed his touch, his kiss…

But he was  _always_  busy, texting her either really early in the morning before she’d woken up or just after she’d already gone to bed and she couldn’t help but wonder if this was him trying to shake her. Was he tired of her? Had she texted and called him too much before this? Was the sex bad? Oh God, when she entertained the connection of them not seeing each other properly since they spent the night together, her stomach turned. She shouldn’t have slept with him so soon… she should have waited until their relationship was more solid. But the day after went so well. They had a great time she thought, taking Bobby out and spending that extra time together before she went home. And it had certainly seemed like he’d enjoyed the sex - he’d been just as desperate as she was to move things in that direction. Then she started to think that maybe he’d only wanted her for sex, and that’s why as soon as they’d been spotted by the press, he’d disappeared. Maybe she was only ever meant to be a temporary fix for him, until he found someone better suited - an actress or another celebrity, someone beautiful and famous, someone much more suited to Tom and his lifestyle.

_You mean so much more to me than just a friend._

Did he lie to her in the car so she wouldn’t make a scene and tell the press everything? God, she wanted to cry, as ridiculous as it sounded. But Kate had felt such a connection with Tom that she really couldn’t bear the thought of it all coming to such an abrupt end. Having not spoken to him properly for nearly a week had made her realise just how much she liked him, and that in itself was pretty scary - how could she be so into someone she’d only been on a handful of dates with? She was such an idiot for letting herself get so attached to him so quickly, and now that it had all gone wrong, she only had herself to blame.


	6. Charlotte

The last week of rehearsals before Tom’s theatre stint began, had been full on and pretty exhausting. Not only was he spending long days rehearsing, but he also had promo interviews to do. There literally hadn’t been enough hours in the day and much to his annoyance that had meant he’d barely spoken to Kate.

His mornings started long before she was awake, and his evenings finished way after she’d gone to bed so there had been no point in him even trying to call her, and most days he’d been so tired he hadn’t really been in the mood to talk anyway. But as the week had gone on he’d become more and more frustrated at having barely any contact with her apart from a few texts here and there, which was just making his mood even worse. He missed her, everything about her, and he felt terrible that he’d not been around, especially so soon after they’d been papped. He’d thrown her into a tonne of shit and then left her to deal with it all on her own.

When he finally managed to finish rehearsals early one evening, he knew the first thing he needed to do was apologise to Kate, but just a phone call didn’t feel like it was enough. As he waited for his driver to pick him up from the theatre, he had an idea. He quickly made a call, reserving a table at a small Italian restaurant near her house for that evening, and when his car arrived, he asked his driver to take him to Kate’s, making a small diversion on the way to pick up something else that he hoped would help with his apology. Now he just had to pray she was home.

 

* * *

 

 

When Kate arrived home from work, she shrugged her coat off and threw herself down on the sofa with a sigh, kicking her shoes off. She was meant to be meeting Zack for dinner but she just wasn’t in the mood for seeing anyone, still brooding over the lack of contact from Tom. She certainly wasn’t ready to explain to anyone, even Zack, that things had seemingly gone wrong. So she’d called Zack and cancelled, making an excuse about having a busy day at work and being exhausted.

Suddenly her doorbell rang, startling her from her thoughts. She groaned, getting to her feet. She was expecting it to be Zack checking up on her as she rarely ever cancelled their dates. Opening the door, she drew in a breath of surprise as Tom stood there grinning widely at her as he clutched an enormous bunch of flowers,

“Tom…”

“Hey gorgeous.” He replied as he stepped forwards and wrapped his arm around her, planting a forceful kiss on her lips. Kate flung her arms around his neck and held him tightly, breathing in his familiar citrusy scent.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I haven’t been around lately.” Tom whispered into her hair, “When I finished early tonight I just had to see you… I missed you.” He released her and held the flowers towards her, “These are to apologize.”

Kate took the flowers and looked from them up to him, “They’re beautiful… thank you.” She stepped back and gestured into the flat, “Would you like to come in?”

Tom nodded and followed her in, shutting the door behind him, “Not for long though.” Watching as Kate’s face dropped in disappointment, he added, “We’re going out for dinner.”

He laughed as her eyes lit up, stepping forwards and taking the flowers back from her, “So, I am going to go and put these in some water for you while you go and get ready. Our reservation is in thirty minutes”

“ _Half an hour_?” Kate yelped.

He nodded, “Half an hour. It’s not far away, you’ve got time. Now go!”

Kate hesitated before surging forwards and kissing him hard. She let him go again just as quickly and smiled, “Thank you.”

She turned and dashed off to her bedroom, leaving Tom alone in the hallway. He turned around and saw the kitchen, walking into it and looking around for a vase. He spotted one on top of the fridge and moved towards it, picking it up and going back to the sink to run some water to fill it up,

“Where are we going? Do I need to dress up?” Kate’s voice came from down the hall.

“Just somewhere local, nothing as fancy as the Ivy at such short notice I’m afraid.” He called back, turning the tap off and unwrapping the flowers to arrange them in the vase.

“Are we walking or driving?”

“Driving. There’s a car outside waiting for us.”

“What about getting home?”

“We’ll get a taxi.”

“So I can wear heels?”

Chuckling to himself, Tom finished with the flowers and left them on the counter, walking back into the hall so he didn’t have to continue this conversation from different rooms. He stopped dead in Kate’s bedroom doorway as he took her in, walking around in just her underwear.

Noticing him looking at her, Kate smiled smugly as Tom crossed the room quickly and crowded into her, “God you’re beautiful.” He murmured, attaching his mouth to her neck.

She giggled and squirmed her way out of his grip, “There’s no time for that, Tom!” She picked up a dress that had been laid out on her bed and pulled it on before adding, “Well not right now, anyway…”

Kate gave him a cheeky wink as she continued getting dressed and Tom took a deep breath. He really had missed her, so much. He hadn’t thought this surprise through, because seeing her in her underwear had got him all worked up and now all he wanted to do was peel it off her body and replace it with his mouth. But instead they needed to leave in five minutes to make their reservation, and he knew he was going to spend the whole time desperate to get his hands on her again.

“I’m just… gonna go wait out there.” He needed to put distance between them for a moment before he caused them to miss dinner.

Kate glanced at him with a smirk as she stood in front of the mirror, threading her earrings through her ears. “Okay, I’ll be ready in just a minute!”

Tom made his way back into the hallway, glancing around as he walked on toward the living room. He realized he hadn’t seen the inside of her flat before. It was so cute and so  _her_. He passed by the bookshelf and scanned the spines of the books to see what kind of a collection she had before walking past the telly to the other side of the room when something interesting caught his eye.

Approaching a shelf near the couch, his eyebrows flew up at the small collection of Loki things she had. There was a Loki and Thor POP! figure, a regular figure and a small fanart piece, just to name a couple of them. She mentioned before that she hadn’t seen his movies yet and that conversation had only been a couple of weeks ago. A grin spread on his face as he imagined her staying up late to binge the Thor series and the Avenger movie Loki had been in. Kate was definitely a Loki fan. She hadn’t told him and he was going to tease her about it, for sure. He moved from the shelf, glancing at his watch just before Kate walked into the room. “Are you ready?”

Tom looked up and his arm fell down to his side as he took in her full outfit.  _Wow_. She looked stunning. Even in a casual dress and heels with her hair up in a bun, she was gorgeous. “Yeah, love, let’s get going.

He helped her with her coat and headed out to the car. Opening the door for her to slip inside, he climbed in after her. Tom looped his arm through hers and intertwined their fingers. Kate leaned her head on Tom’s shoulder, still unable to believe he was actually here with her.

Maybe she’d overreacted. She suddenly felt silly for how she had been acting over the past week. For days, she drove herself mad with the what if’s and doubts about everything, she didn’t stop to think about how busy he might have been with his own life. He was an extremely popular actor that had many obligations, ones that came long before she did. The fact that he hadn’t even gone home before coming to get her out of the blue, was so cute and she was flattered.

Kate lifted her head to look at him and he glanced over, returning the smile she had on her face. She pecked him on the cheek then went to return her head to his shoulder, but his other hand found her cheek to bring her face back. He pressed his lips on hers, lingering there before he slipped his tongue inside of her mouth.

Kate let out a soft, quiet moan when his tongue caressed hers, grabbing hold of his arm tightly. His slid down her neck, slowly coming down to squeeze her breast.

“Mr. Hiddleston? We’re here.” The driver spoke up from the front.

Tom broke apart from her lips, pressing his head against her forehead with a sigh. “We should probably go…” With a groan, he adjusted his pants that were becoming tighter.

“Yeah…” Kate let out a breath and untangled herself from him. Why was it that they kept finding themselves so needy of each other?

After composing themselves, they got out of the car and went inside of the restaurant. Again, they were seated towards the back, in a cozy rounded booth in a corner. It was quiet and private, and she would actually be able to hear him talk since they were sitting next to each other and they weren’t sitting as close to the majority of the other diners.

They ordered their drinks and talked over the menu, deciding on what they thought sounded good. Each time the waitress came over, which was more often than needed in Kate’s opinion, she would try her best to get Tom’s attention. Most of the questions she asked were directed at him and Kate knew without her saying, that she recognized him. But, Tom wasn’t giving her the attention she wanted. He’d barely look up from Kate or the menu as he spoke, just briefly making eye contact out of politeness.

Tom couldn’t help but feel slightly irritated by the waitress. All he wanted to do was have quiet dinner with Kate and talk to her, since he wasn’t able to properly while he worked so hard for the play that was coming up. Once she was sent away with their food order, Tom pulled out a small, oblong piece of paper and presented it to Kate. “As promised.”

Kate looked down, reading the ticket she was handed for the play he was going to be in.

“It’s for opening night, next Friday. Think you can make it?” Tom held back a grin as he saw the excitement written on her face.

She bit her lip, creasing her brow, “I’m afraid I can’t.”

Tom’s face relaxed into a frown. She was busy? He couldn’t help but wonder if she had plans with Zack that night. “Oh. You have something going on then? That’s fine, I can get you one for another night instead.” He went to take the ticket back from her, but Kate couldn’t hold her smile back any longer.

“I’m teasing you. I wouldn’t miss it.”

Tom raised his brows with a smirk, sliding his arm around her waist. “You better not. You wouldn’t want to miss a meet and greet with your favorite cast member, would you?”

“I suppose not.” Kate replied nonchalant, taking a sip of her wine. Inside, she was excited to watch him act in person.

When their food arrived, the conversation shifted when Tom brought up the question of her watching some of his other films. The look in his eyes made Kate wonder if he knew about her watching the series of his that he told her not to. Her cheeks reddened and she immediately shoved a forkful of food into her mouth to buy her some time. He couldn’t have found out… could he?

“Kate, you watched it, I know you did.”

Kate nearly choked on her food, taking a sip of wine. What was the use of lying now?

“Okay, fine. I  _know_  you told me not to, but it was  _right there_  and I didn’t see anything wrong with it. And it was so good, I sort of binged it and–”

Tom’s hand covered hers on the table, “Wait, hold on a minute.”

Kate shut her mouth and made eye contact.

“I was talking about the Thor series, but…” A smirk spread across his face, “You watched The Night Manager?”

Oh God. Was there an opening in the ground somewhere? Kate wanted it to swallow her up. Her cheeks stung when she realized he hadn’t known and she had just told on herself.

“You weren’t talking about… Oh…” Kate laughed sheepishly before taking another drink of wine.

Tom laughed, “When did this happen?”

“A couple of weeks ago…”

“A couple of weeks ago? You mean just after I told you not to when you found out who I was?”

Kate nodded, averting her gaze to her food.

Tom leaned in close to whisper low in her ear, sliding his arm around her waist. “You mean, you got to see my bum before I got to see yours? Kate.” He scolded playfully.

She shivered from his tone, feeling his breath on her ear as he placed his hand on her knee. Images of the scene ran through her head. His moans, his thrusting hips, the panting, the groping…

Tom was so close and his hand inched higher, slowly hiking her dress up her thigh with it. His hand was gently rubbing up and down her side, teasing her, making her hot and her breath come out a little harder.

Suddenly, she wasn’t hungry for her food anymore, she was hungry for something else… But they were at dinner and she didn’t want to rush them home just to give in to her needs. She finally got to spend time with Tom and she wanted sit down and enjoy it. Surely she could wait until later, when they went back to hers…

When his knuckles nearly brushed her panties, she shifted uncomfortably and grabbed his hand to still him, looking up to see the same lust in his eyes as hers probably had. She swallowed, “I uh… just need a moment. I’m going to use the restroom.”

“Hurry back.” Tom whispered, reluctantly releasing her so she could get up. He watched her walk away and wished he could follow her. It seemed Kate was just as worked up as he was, and he knew that once they got back to her flat they would be able to give in to the frustration they were both feeling of having barely seen each other for a week, but Tom honestly didn’t know if he could wait that long. His trousers were getting uncomfortably tight and he couldn’t think straight, completely overcome with the desperate need to have Kate  _right now_.

As Kate walked into the bathroom, she fought with herself, told her body to calm down. She splashed a bit of water in her face, to cool herself. Taking a couple of breaths, she dried off her face and gave herself a little pep talk in her head and when she was ready, she decided to head back out to the table.

When she walked out, Tom was leaning against the wall, waiting for her. She stepped toward him, and he reached for her, pulling her close as he pushed from the wall. Their bodies collided and his lips were on hers.

Before either of them knew what was happening, their feet were shuffling into the bathroom, and Kate’s back hit the wall of the entryway just inside. Tom held her face in his hands, kissing her as hungrily as she was. She fiddled with his collar, curling her fingers around it before she was on the buttons.

He stopped her, halting her movements as he broke from her mouth to look at her. “Are we really doing this?”

Kate stared into his eyes as they panted. “We really shouldn’t…” She bit her lip, driving Tom crazy. Doing it in the bathroom wasn’t the classiest thing she’d ever done and it was certainly not very hygienic, but Kate was past the point of caring. “I’m game if you are.”

The little smirk that was playing on her lips made him chuckle and that was all the convincing he needed to pull her into a stall toward the back of the bathroom. He locked the door, capturing her lips in another fiery kiss.

It was cramped, but if he pressed her into the wall, they would have just enough room to move the way they needed to. Kate wedged her hands between them, finishing what she’d started with the buttons of his shirt. Her hands were on his chest, his lips now on her neck as he lifted the front of her dress. Rubbing her clit with his fingers, Kate let out a breathy moan, spreading her legs further apart to give him more room.

The pressure was building, the ache was growing quickly and she wasn’t sure she could wait any longer. She felt around for his belt as his lips traveled down her neck to her collarbone. Just as she pulled the leather out of the strap, the door to the restroom swung open and heels clicked along the floor.

Kate stopped and Tom pulled back from her neck to share in her wide eyed look. They struggled to calm their heavy breathing, even though music was playing softly over the speakers. Who ever came in had just picked the stall next to theirs, of all the ones she had to choose from!

They waited and waited, God she was taking so long! Kate was growing impatient, she hooked her hand around the back of his neck, placing hers lips on the other side. She stroked him over his jeans, feeling the hard outline of him nearly made her groan against his neck. Tom was struggling himself, his eyes closed and his fingers tightened on her waist while he dipped his other hand inside of her panties to continue.

Kate gasped and bit back a moan. Lord, she wished this lady would hurry the hell up!

“…Is everything alright in there?” Kate cursed in her head when she heard the lady’s voice while she washed her hands.

“Y-Yes!” She groaned and sucked in a breath when Tom drew his head back to nip at her neck. “I’ve–oh God–stomach cramps!” His fingers had settled into a perfect rhythm and she was so beyond ready for him, she just wanted this woman to leave!

“Alright, just checking.” The water turned off and the clicking of her heels faded as she exited the bathroom. They both laughed as Kate undid Tom’s pants, struggling to shove them down his thighs from the tight space.

Tom pulled a strap of her dress exposing one of her breasts so he could get his mouth on it. Kate let out a moan as she stroked him, and her mind briefly drifted to how wrong this was but how hot it felt to be so desperate for each other that they risked getting caught. Their pants and moans echoed into the room, unable to control them any longer now that the room was empty.

“Tom…” Kate whimpered and he knew she was as ready for him as he was for her. His hand slid up the back of her thigh, drawing her leg up as he removed his fingers from her slickness, pushing the fabric off to the side as the tip brushed her entrance.

Just as he was about to push himself inside, Tom’s mobile rang. He meant to ignore it, he was so damn close!

Kate gasped, “Just ignore it. We’re right there.” She lifted his face up to hers to kiss him.

He nearly gave in when her lips pressed against his, but he knew he had to get it for it to go off at this hour. He pulled away from her lips and dropped her leg with a sigh, “I can’t. I have to answer it, it might be important.”

Tom slipped his mobile out of his pocket and swiped across the screen, pressing it to his ear. “Luke, this better be good.” He said in annoyance. He had a bad feeling about this call.

“What do you mean they–Well, tell them to–Oh for crying out loud, I’ll be there soon.” He cursed, ending the call.

Kate was pulling up her strap and fixing her dress, clearly disappointed. The mood was ruined and Tom had to cut their date short.

Tom zipped himself back up and Kate exited the stall as he buttoned his shirt, watching her take a couple of breaths. “Kate, I…”

“It’s okay, I understand.” With a sigh, he grasped her hand, gently pulling her out of the bathroom as he carefully looked around for the coast to be clear so they could head back to their table. They boxed up their food and Tom settled the bill while Kate called for a taxi.

The ride was slightly awkward and a little tense. Tom kept wanting to say something, but each time he opened his mouth and looked at Kate, who was staring out of the window, he closed it. He was embarrassed and felt guilty that after they finally got to spend some time together since he began rehearsing, he was now taking her home early and unable to follow her in to her flat to finish what they’d started.

Tom was just as frustrated as Kate, but he couldn’t imagine how she was feeling. He’d left her hanging for a week already, and now that opening weekend was in just a week, things would be even busier.

When they pulled up to her flat, Tom helped her out of the car and walked her up to the door. “Kate…” He grasped her hands in his, bringing them up to his lips to kiss them, “I’m so sorry about tonight. I… if it wasn’t important, I would have told them to piss off.”

Kate gave him a small smile, pushing back her disappointment. She knew it wasn’t his fault and it was just bad timing, but she was hoping to see him a lot more tonight than just under two hours. “It’s alright, really. It can’t be helped.”

What she really wanted to do was cry, scream, beg him to stay. Tom was becoming her personal brand of Heroin and the more of him she got, the more she needed. Tonight’s hit just hadn’t been enough. She knew it was selfish and unreasonable to feel so annoyed about it so she released his hands and cupped his cheeks as he looked at her sadly. Tom sighed and pressed his lips against hers briefly, careful not to stir anything up again. “I’ll call you tomorrow. That’s a promise. Okay?”

Kate nodded and watched as he walked back toward the taxi. Climbing in, he gave her a small wave as it pulled away. Sighing, she pulled her keys out her bag and unlocked the door almost stomping into her flat, feeling like a sulking child. She went to the kitchen and opened the bin, dropping the takeout box from the restaurant into it and slamming the lid closed again. She didn’t want food, she just wanted Tom.

When Kate woke up the next morning she tried to be more positive. She told herself that Tom was just busy and she shouldn’t take it personally. After all, he’d made so much effort the night before to surprise her, and she was a little comforted at the knowledge that she’d been the first person he’d thought of when he’d had some spare time. Then she thought about how much busier he was going to be when his play actually started. But he’d already told Kate that he had Tuesdays and Sundays off so Kate consoled herself with the hope that might mean that she would at least know when she would next be able to see him, instead of being on edge like she had been this week, unsure of when he would next be able to take some time out. She just had to make it to next weekend, and with work being so busy at the moment she knew the days would go quickly. She had a dinner date with Zack on Wednesday to look forward to, and then it would only be a couple of days until she was sitting in the front row of the theatre watching Tom on stage.

As promised, Tom did call her that evening but he sounded exhausted again and they chatted briefly before Kate could tell he was almost falling asleep while he was talking to her, so she ordered him to go to bed.

“I’m sorry” he sighed sadly, “God Kate, all I seem to have done lately is apologize to you. But I’m sorry I had to leave our date early, I’m sorry I’m so tired I can barely talk, and I’m sorry I’m not going to get a chance to see you before Saturday night.”

He sounded genuinely upset and Kate just wanted to hug him. She sighed, “I wish you were here.”

On the other end of the line, Tom sighed too, “So do I, darling. I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

They said their goodnights and ended the call, leaving Kate desperate for Saturday night to come around.

 

* * *

 

 

When it came to Wednesday night and her plans with Zack, Kate was glad of the distraction and happy to see her best friend, especially after having cancelled on him the week before. When he opened the door to his flat and gave her a hug as he always did, she clung to him a little tighter than usual, just glad to feel some affection from someone.

“I’ve ordered us pizza.” Zack told her as Kate settled herself on the sofa and slid her shoes off, pulling her knees up and hugging them to her chest and glancing at the telly.

“You’re watching the  _news_?” She asked incredulously.

Zack shook his head, “God, no. I was watching the show that was on beforehand and then you arrived, so I just haven’t got around to changing channels yet.”

He picked up the remote to switch over but suddenly a familiar face appeared on screen and Kate grabbed Zack’s wrist to stop him, staring at the telly as the reporter introduced Tom and his co star, Charlotte for an interview promoting their play.

“Turn it up!!” She demanded, snatching the remote from him and increasing the volume. She listened as they discussed the play and answered some pretty standard questions. But as the interview went on she found herself focusing more and more on how close Tom seemed to be to Charlotte. She would even go as far as to say they were flirty. Charlotte was constantly giggling at anything Tom said, fluttering her eyelashes at him as she played with her hair. There was an obvious chemistry between them and it had Kate’s blood boiling as she stared daggers through the telly at the petite blond woman who now had her hand resting on Tom’s arm.

“Wow, they’re friendly.” Zack commented, shaking Kate from her thoughts. She glanced across at him, unable to talk and worried that Zack had noticed it, too.

He realized he’d made her feel uncomfortable and changed the subject, “Seen loverboy lately?” He asked.

“I saw him a couple of days ago, actually.”

“A couple of days ago as in the night we were meant to have dinner?” When she nodded, he frowned. “Did you seriously blow me out for  _him_?”

“Zack, no! It wasn’t like that!” Kate argued, seeing how upset he looked and how this must seem to him, “He turned up out of the blue and surprised me! It had nothing to do with me cancelling our plans, I promise.”

Zack sighed and nodded but Kate could tell he was hurt. She spent the rest of the evening being extra nice to him and offered to take him out to dinner one night soon to make up for it.

When she got home later that evening, Tom’s interview was still playing on her mind. She picked up her phone and opened her web browser, typing Charlotte’s name into Google, her finger hovering over the search button. After a moment of contemplating, she added Tom’s name to the search and scrolled through the different options.

Clicking on one of the articles, she read about a reporter’s research on their past. It was just as Tom had told her before, that they’ve known each other for a long time. It went on to talk about a performance they’d done in their time at RADA and how well they’d done. They’d contacted one of their teachers to ask a few questions and he had commented on how close they’d used to be and that they were well suited to the roles they were about to perform in.

Kate tried to to let her findings bother her, but when she clicked on a link of what they called a Related Article, she found herself getting upset over it.

It talked about her and Tom being spotted three weeks ago and she was practically dismissed as being Tom’s girlfriend between his statement claiming they were only friends and the fact that he was now going to be performing with a blast from the past that he’d had such great chemistry with.

After Kate couldn’t stomach reading anymore, she turned off the screen and dropped the phone onto the bed with a sigh. She flopped down and stared up at the ceiling, trying to remember that his was just the media doing what they do best, speculating and trying to find the juice in everything. Kate tried telling herself that she was just being paranoid and she fully trusted Tom to work so closely with this woman and leave it at that.

Despite all of that, she had still taken an instant dislike to Charlotte and it was  _ her _ that she didn’t trust, especially not around Tom. And that could be a problem.


	7. VIP

When the opening night for Tom's play came, Kate could hardly contain herself. She ended up requesting to get off a couple of hours earlier as she wanted to make sure she got home in enough time to dress herself up and get through the Friday night traffic. She took a taxi to the theatre and she had been right, she was inching toward her destination. The amount of people within a few blocks of the theatre was absolutely nuts and the line to get inside the building was long enough to make her teeth chatter before she even made it close to the door. 

 

She’d never been to that particular theatre before, so when she presented her ticket and got through security, she looked around until the show was about to start. 

 

Kate settled into her seat and anxiously awaited for Tom to appear on stage. And when he did… oh boy, did he look  _ amazing _ . When his eyes swept over the audience as he delivered a solo dialogue with his character's thoughts, his gaze lingered on her once he spotted her. When their eyes locked, Kate's breath hitched and she shifted in her seat. 

 

Watching him perform live was something else. It was mesmerizing and the way he portrayed his character was proof that he worked incredibly hard for this role. He was great in every scene he was in and she was enjoying herself immensely until it came time for Charlotte to appear onstage.

 

Kate watched her closely, feeling uneasy at first. She thought Charlotte was a decent actress so far, but this was the first thing she’d seen her in. And when Tom had his arm around her, pulling her in for a brief kiss, she couldn't help but tense up. She reminded herself it was just for the play, but when their foreheads touched and their eyes closed, watching their chests heave with frustration, Kate just didn't like it. Even if it was part of the show, she was allowed feel uncomfortable. 

 

Regardless of how Charlotte made her feel, she focused on Tom's performance through the rest of the show. She was here for  _ him _ and it would be a waste for her to worry over a costar that was probably harmless.

 

Tom was really good at making you feel things for his characters. Kate wanted to laugh when he laughed, cry when he cried and she felt angry when he was. It was so entertaining to watch him, she didn't want the play to end.

 

By the time the show was over, Kate was itching to see Tom. She watched as the entire cast came out to bow, they all stood in a line and out their arm around the one standing next to them. When the other members of the cast stepped back, Tom and Charlotte lingered by themselves and took their own bow, and when they came back up, Tom smiled at her and kissed her cheek, making the crowd grow even louder, clapping and cheering.

 

Kate was clapping, but she wasn't cheering. She forced a smile when Tom looked her way. She was so proud of him and thought he did an exceptional job, but Charlotte made her anxious. It made her feel silly for being so wary of her. It wasn't like she didn't trust Tom, and she didn't even know this woman. She was probably really sweet if Tom got along with her.

 

She waited patiently to be taken backstage, purposefully lingering until she was last in line out of all the VIPs for the evening, so she wasn't rushed out for the next one in line. When she was brought backstage, Tom was standing with Charlotte in a navy blue striped suit. He always looked gorgeous in blue, especially when the suits were so fitted and she hated him for it. It always made her want him, probably more than she should.

 

When Kate approached, Tom’s face lit up with a smile and he removed his arm from Charlotte's waist so he could slip his arm around her and greet her with a lingering kiss on the cheek. “Hi Kate.” He leaned down to murmur in her ear, “You look beautiful.” He squeezed her hip and she felt warmth spread from the touch.

 

Tom turned his attention toward his costar, “Lottie, this is Kate. Kate, this is Charlotte Harper.”

 

_ Lottie? _ She wanted to cringe from the nickname and the fact that he had one for her. Were they that close? Sure they were, they'd been rehearsing all day, every day, for weeks. 

 

Kate smiled and shook Charlotte’s hand. “Oh Tom,” She briefly touched his arm, “ _ This _ is your girlfriend?”

 

Tom grinned widely, “Yes, she is!”

 

Kate's heart jumped at his confirmation. Sure, he had told her that she meant more to him than just a friend, but they hadn't had a proper conversation about titles or anything yet, so this was quite the surprise. 

 

“She's lovely, Tom. So adorable.” The sweetness in her tone and her smile didn't reach her eyes, and she wondered if her honeyed words were just for show for Tom. And he seemed to be eating it all up. “Did you enjoy the show?”

 

Kate nodded eagerly, “I did. The two of you did an amazing job! Brilliant.” Two could play at that game.

 

“Aw, well that's because Tom here was so dedicated and had to make sure everything was perfect. Even made us redo a scene if he felt it was necessary, didn't you Tom?” Charlotte giggled, grabbing hold of his arm and patting his chest playfully.

 

After Kate's fingers curled into fists at her side from the way Charlotte seemed to touch Tom so openly and casually, her mind wandered to their kiss and she wondered how many times they had to ‘practice’ that scene.

 

He looked at Charlotte and laughed, “Yeah, I suppose I get carried away sometimes.”

 

Kate watched their exchange and wanted to pull Charlotte away from him, tell her to kindly back the fuck off of her boyfriend. But when Charlotte’s name was called, she didn't have to. 

 

Kate felt relieved when she let go of Tom's arm, “I hate to cut this short, but it looks like I'm needed elsewhere.” She leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I'll see you tomorrow?”

 

Tom nodded with a smile, “Tomorrow. Have a good night, Lottie.” There was that name again. She hated how it sounded when it rolled off of his tongue.

 

Charlotte gave her a glance as she walked away, a smirk playing on her lips. “It was nice meeting you, Kate.”

 

Kate returned her smile half heartedly and turned her attention back to Tom, who was sliding his arm around her waist. He leaned down to speak into her ear, “Did I mention how good you look tonight?” She shivered when his breath caressed her ear, “There’s a couple of people that I'd like you to meet. Then we'll take the VIP tour to its final destination;  _ my dressing room _ .”

 

Kate nearly moaned at his suggestive tone. She'd been so frustrated and there were times she even amused herself with the thought of showing up at his doorstep with lingerie under her coat… She’d been wanting him all week and surely she could wait a few more minutes… 

 

However, it seemed to take longer than either of them thought. His cast mates wanted to talk and pal around. Tom was getting as antsy as Kate was, when her arm rested low on his waist, squeezing his bum when no one was looking. He tried focusing on the conversation so that his pants wouldn't get tight on him, ignoring the subtle brush of her breast at his side and the circling of her fingers on his back. It was all too distracting and he took the first opening he saw to excuse them. 

 

The moment Tom closed the door and locked it, Kate was on him, kissing him hard when he turned around. His back collided with the door and his hands slid around to her back, holding her tight against him. “Pretty bold of you to tease me like that… in front of all those people.” His voice was deep and breathless when he pulled his mouth away. 

 

Kate giggled, “How else was I supposed to get you in here?” She moaned as he kissed on her neck.

 

Tom smirked against her skin, loving the sounds he could draw out of her. “Look, if we're going to do this in here, we have to be quiet, okay? There are people outside in the hallway.”

 

Kate drew back to look into his eyes, “Then shut up and  _ kiss me _ .”

 

Tom switched their positions, pushing her up against the wall next to the door and thrusted his tongue into her mouth, tasting her as his fingers curled around the fabric of her dress. “Like this?” 

 

Her moan came out muffled as his tongue caressed hers. “Just like that.” She panted, undoing his tie so she could get his shirt open. Sliding the jacket down his arms, Tom took it off the rest of the way, tossing it on the nearby chair. Kate worked quickly, desperate to feel him under her fingertips. The shirt ended up on top of the jacket when she tossed it and her hands were on his chest, sliding up and down as Tom yanked down the zipper of her dress, shoving it down her body.

 

His lips met her neck, leaving a trail of wet kisses along her collarbone and back up, his hand sliding across her breasts, groping her over her bra. The feeling of her curves in his hands and his lips on her soft, heated skin was liberating and it had him moaning against her. Tom was hungry for Kate, his cock painfully restricted in his pants and he voiced his discomfort by groaning and tugging at his belt with his other hand. 

 

Kate slid her hands down his stomach, helping him in unfastening his belt and pull his zipper down, letting his pants sink down to his thighs. She placed his hand on her ass and he squeezed, bringing her flush against his body. Moving her hips as she grasped his, she ground herself against him, eliciting another quiet moan from his mouth. “You're supposed to be quiet.” She giggled, failing in suppressing a soft moan of her own as he nipped at her neck with a chuckle.

 

Tom reached around, unsnapping her bra and pulled it down her arms quickly. He lowered his mouth to her breast, swirling his tongue around her nipple. He slipped his hand down underneath the soft silky fabric of her underwear and ran his fingers along her slickness, Kate ran her hands through his hair and closed her eyes, biting her lip to suppress her whimper.

 

Part of her wished he would just tug her panties down and fuck her against that wall already, but his mouth was doing wonders, licking and sucking on her sensitive skin while his fingers worked into a rhythm that had her head spinning.

 

Tom felt himself slipping further and further into his arousal as her harsh breaths and her tiny moans seeped into his ears. The way she rolled her hips against his hand told him she was just as ready for him as he was for her. He slid his hands around to take fistfuls of her bottom before slipping her panties down her legs. The rest of their clothes followed hastily until they were completely naked.

 

They were past the point of waiting for anything now as Tom lifted Kate, pressing her against the wall as her legs wrapped around his waist. He buried himself inside of her with a mutual gasp as he felt her walls tighten around his shaft. Slowly he began to move, establishing a steady rhythm. It had only been two weeks but he missed the feeling of her. She felt so perfect and warm and so soft.

 

Kate held onto him around his neck tightly, exchanging sloppy, opened mouth kisses. She’d missed him just as much. When Tom rolled his hips even harder, her back bumped against the wall with each thrust and if Tom wasn't muffling her moans with his mouth, she was sure anyone outside of that door would hear her.

 

Sweat was beading on Tom's forehead and his arms were beginning to grow tired from supporting her, but he couldn't stop. He pulled back to look at Kate. God, she was beautiful. Her eyes glazed over, staring back at him with her mouth half open. He was so close, the tension about ready to snap. Kate was right there with him, her walls tightening, squeezing him as he moved to moan into her ear, “Kate, I'm gonna…” His mouth dropped open and he gasped, screwing his eyes shut as his cock pulsed inside of her. He closed his mouth, silencing the loud moan that threatened to escape. 

 

“Oh God, Tom!” Kate buried her face into his neck, her breath stuttering as they came together. Tom took a few moments to collect himself as they panted before he gently set her back down on the floor.

 

Kate leaned back against the wall, trying to steady her breathing. Tom pressed his hand against the wall, dropping his forehead to rest against hers. His other hand went to her back, pulling her forward to embrace her gently. She wrapped her arms around his back, holding onto him. When their breathing returned to a calm and steady rhythm, he sighed and moved to cup her face in his hands, placing a brief kiss on her lips. 

 

Kate tilted her head to meet them again, kissing him softly and slowly as her hands came to rest on his chest. Her fingers lightly traced the lines of his chest, wondering how in the world she got so lucky. She couldn't believe she was here, kissing this amazingly sweet and sexy man after having had another round of phenomenal sex. 

 

_ This is your girlfriend?  _

 

_ Yes, she is! _

 

And this man was hers. 

 

A grin formed on Kate's face and Tom pulled back, smiling. “What?”

 

“So, I'm your girlfriend, huh?”

 

One thumb stroking her cheek, his smile widened. “Well yes, I mean what else should I refer to you as around my friends?”

 

“So… you talk about me, then?”

 

He chuckled, “Well, yeah. How could I not? You talk about me to  _ your _ friends, don’t you?”

 

“ _ Well yeah _ .” She repeated with a giggle, nudging his nose with hers. “It's not every day that you get to date a famous actor like Tom Hiddleston.”

 

“So that's what you brag about, then?” He teased, sliding his hands around to get a squeeze of her backside.

 

She glanced up at him with a smirk playing on her lips. “That and the incredible sex.” Kate bit her lip, holding back a moan when he pressed her tight against him.

 

“It  _ is _ pretty incredible, isn't it?” He mumbled, backing her up against the wall again. He dipped his head down to trail kisses down her cheek to her neck. 

 

Kate gasped as his hands fell to the back of her thighs, hoisting her up again. She wrapped her arms around his neck, squealing when he turned from the wall and walked over to the nearby couch, laying her down as he hovered over her.

 

He brought her hand to his mouth, placing kisses down the insides of her fingers, down to her palm, working his way along her arm. Kate shivered, squeezing her legs together as the familiar ache she felt not too long ago returned.

 

Tom stopped at the inside of her elbow, moving to her lips as he gently trailed his fingertips down her side. “What are you doing to me?” He mumbled and kissed her again, running his tongue over hers. He felt drunk on Kate, losing himself in the silky feel of her skin, the soft wetness of her tongue, the seductive sounds that she made when he touched her. “You have witchcraft in your lips, Kate.” 

 

Her cheeks grew warm again and her heart hammered in her chest as she imagined him walking towards her with that affectionate look in his eyes, lifting her chin and placing the gentlest of kisses on her lips. Drawing back, breathless and wanting. 

 

Kate let out a breathy moan as Tom slid down her body, kissing and sucking on her flesh on the way down. Warmth followed him, chased him as he moved to kneel on the floor, as he wouldn't fit on the couch if he went any further. He pushed her thighs apart, kissing the inside of them as he settled between them. Grabbing hold of her hips, he slid her forward as he glanced up, licking his lips in a suggestive manner.

 

Her eyes rolled back when he flattened his tongue and dragged it upwards. His finger slid inside of her with ease, from the combination of their juices. Oh God it was like magic, the way his tongue and fingers worked together to bring her this pleasure.

 

Her hands found their way into his hair as she rolled her hips gently against his mouth, moaning softly in appreciation, whispering his name repeatedly. He had Kate biting her lip hard as she came, careful not to get too loud. She shook and her breath stuttered, her toes curling as her walls convulsed around his fingers.

 

“That's it, there you go.” Tom praised softly, admiring her with a smile. He kissed around the tender spot softly before he rose back to kiss her mouth.

 

There was a knock on the door and they both shot their head in its direction. “Yeah?” He called after clearing his throat.

 

“Tom, there’s someone out here wanting to ask the star of the show some questions if you aren't too busy in there.” Luke's smug voice came from the other side of the door and Tom cursed. Always bad timing with him.

 

Kate widened her eyes. Had he heard them? Was she too loud?

 

Tom looked back at her with a chuckle when he saw the look on her face. “Relax, I don't think he heard us, but I'm sure he had to assume. Like I said before, I  _ do _ talk about you.”

 

Kate giggled, taking his hand when he got off of her and reached out to help her up. They cleaned themselves up and gathered their clothes, slipping them on. 

 

“Wait here for me. I shouldn't be long.” Kate slipped his tie around his neck, working to fasten it while he gazed down at her. “I probably just need to do a brief interview and that's it.”

 

Kate nodded with a smile and tightened the tie, smoothing out his collar afterwards. “Handsome.” She smiled.

 

“Thanks, love.” Tom grinned at her and gave her lips a quick kiss before he left.

 

Kate sat back on the couch and checked her phone, seeing a message from Zack, to which she sent a quick reply. She moved on to a couple from Roxy asking how Tom's play went.

 

Roxy:  _ Hey Kate, how's the play going? God I wish I could have come along, how dare my sister get married when Tom's opening night is tonight! I wanted to meet him so bad! _

 

Roxy:  _ Hellooooo earth to Kate! Did his performance kill you? I imagine it COULD be that good, enough to kill you. Answer me when you're alive again! _

 

Roxy:  _ Okay now I'm a little worried. And I'm dying over here. I need details! _

 

Kate:  _ Geez Rox, I'm fine! The play was… ugh, it was fantastic! Seeing him act in person is just… incredible. Sorry it took me a long time to respond. I got the VIP meet and greet with Tom after the show. ;) _

 

Roxy:  _ The VIP treatment??? Oh my God GIRL, seriously, you're so fucking lucky. And so bad!! You better spill those details on Monday!! _

 

Kate:  _ I don't kiss and tell ;) _

 

Roxy:  _ So are things better with the whole friendship thing? _

 

Kate:  _ I would say so. He referred to me as his girlfriend in front of Charlotte. _

 

Roxy:  _ That's great!.... Who is Charlotte? _

 

Kate:  _ Charlotte Harper, she’s Tom's costar… I really don't like her, Roxy… Her and Tom seem really close and I get the feeling she isn't a good person. She gave off bad vibes and it felt like she likes Tom.  _

 

Roxy:  _ God, I'm sorry Kate. That sounds awful. Look, the BF is whining for me to get off my phone. Can chat about it over coffee tomorrow? _

 

Kate:  _ Sounds great. Good night! _

 

Kate sighed and dropped her phone on the couch next to her. Her mind swirled with thoughts about Charlotte, wondering just how close they were and it didn't settle with her. Maybe she'd play it by ear and if it became a problem, she'd talk to him about it. 

 

Tom came back about twenty minutes later, apologizing for taking so long. He had his driver drive to Kate's house so he could see her home. Kate resisted the urge to invite him inside, knowing he had to go home and get some rest for another long day tomorrow. They wouldn't see each other for a few days, between Tom's busy schedule and Kate having made plans to do a few things this weekend with her friends.

 

It took them a few minutes to say goodbye at the door, lingered kisses and long hugs, until neither of them could stand the cold any longer. “Good night, Tom.” She smiled, letting go of his hands.

 

“Night, Kate…” He kissed her cheek one last time and headed back to the car.

 

Kate watched the car drive off before she went inside. She crawled into bed and lay in the darkness, smiling to herself as Tom’s words played over and over in her head. 

 

_ Girlfriend. _

 

She was Tom Hiddleston’s girlfriend, and she still couldn’t believe how lucky she was.

  
  
  


As Kate made her way to the tube station the next day to meet Zack for dinner, she glanced at the Metro stand, stopping to do a double take as the headline caught her attention. It was a review of Tom’s play. She backed up and grabbed a copy, tucking it into her bag as she descended the steps onto the platform. Once she was seated on the train she picked the paper up and flicked through it until she reached the page with Tom’s review. She scanned the words as the article raved over his performance, smiling proudly. It seemed she wasn’t the only one who had thought Tom’s acting was faultless. 

 

But, her face dropped as she continued to read, the critic praising Charlotte and gushing over her chemistry with Tom. Kate shut the paper abruptly without finishing the paragraph and huffed angrily. She knew she shouldn’t let a stupid newspaper article get to her so much, but she just couldn’t shake this feeling she had about Charlotte and she didn’t need some damn theatre critic adding fuel to the fire. She chucked the paper on the seat next to her and when she got off the train, she left it behind.

 

She met Zack outside Pizza Express and he greeted her with a hug, before smiling sarcastically, “No paps following you today, then?”

 

Kate shot him a look as they walked into the restaurant and he laughed. They were shown to their seats and ordered some drinks whilst they looked at their menus, discussing what to have. Once the waiter had returned with their drinks and taken their food orders, Kate pulled her phone out of her bag and checked it quickly.

 

“Waiting to hear from loverboy?” Zack asked.

 

Kate glared at him, “Can you please stop calling him that?”

 

“Sorry, I meant your  _ friend _ . _ ” _

 

Kate sighed, “He’s my boyfriend, Zack.”

 

Zack raised his eyebrows, “So it’s official now?”

 

She nodded, “That’s how he introduced me to everyone on Friday.”

 

“Oh yeah, you went to Tom’s play, didn’t you? How was it?” Zack gasped, “Shit, I’ve just remembered his co star is Charlotte Harper!” He blew out a breath, “Damn, she’s gorgeous!”

 

Kate smiled through gritted teeth as she nodded. She would tell Zack about Charlotte, just not now. She didn’t want to think about that woman anymore today. But apparently Zack had other ideas.

 

“Can you take me along to the theatre? Introduce me to her? Get loverboy to put in a good word for me?”

 

He winked at her and Kate shook her head slowly, looking down to her lap.

 

“Kate? I was only joking… What’s wrong?”

 

Kate sighed, “I wouldn’t let you anywhere near her. I don’t trust her, Zack.”

 

Zack’s face softened as he realised his best friend was genuinely troubled about Charlotte. He reached across the table and rubbed her arm comfortingly, “Hey, talk to me. What’s going on?”

 

Kate explained what had happened at the theatre and how she just had this  _ feeling  _ about Charlotte. Zack listened attentively but couldn’t offer her a lot of advice as in all honestly Charlotte hadn’t actually done anything wrong… yet. So he did his best to cheer Kate up by telling her some stories of his latest dates, soon having her smiling again. 

 

By the time they’d finished eating and paid the bill, it was getting late so they said their goodbyes and Kate headed home, knowing she had another busy week at work. And when she passed the Metro stands on her way out of the tube station, she glared at them disapprovingly, just because she could.

  
  
  
  
  


Kate was at work early the next morning having had an awful nights sleep, tossing and turning and giving herself irrational anxiety about Charlotte. Eventually she’d given up on sleep and dragged herself out of bed and into the shower, arriving at work much earlier than usual, meaning that she was the first one there and she had to unlock the museum to let herself in. When Roxy finally arrived an hour later and deposited a large takeaway coffee cup on her desk in front of her, she moaned gratefully and looked up at her friend,

 

“I love you.”

 

“Guessed you might need this today.” Roxy replied, sitting down opposite her, “How’s things? You look stressed.”

 

Kate winced, “I’m winding myself up, Rox. I can’t stop thinking about Charlotte and the way she was with Tom. I don’t like it.”

 

Roxy smiled at her sympathetically, “He called you his  _ girlfriend,  _ Kate. Remember that.”

 

Immediately Kate smiled at the memory, “Yeah, he did.”

 

“There we go.” Roxy replied with a wink, “You’re smiling again. Now come on, we have to finish this exhibit before tomorrow. We can go grab some lunch and talk more later, okay?”

 

Kate was glad of the distraction of the museum being so busy as finally she was able to forget about Charlotte for a while and focus on her work. When it was time for their break, they headed back to the office to collect their bags and coats and were about to leave when Kate’s office phone rang,

 

“There’s someone named Tom in reception for you.” The receptionist announced.

 

Kate’s eyes widened, “Thank you! I’ll be there in just a minute.”

 

Putting the phone down, she turned to Roxy, “Tom’s here!”

 

Roxy clapped her hands together and bounced up and down on the balls of her feet excitedly, “Well, let’s get going then! You  _ have  _ to introduce me, Kate!”

 

When they walked into the waiting area a few minutes later, Tom was standing in the corner, reading one of the information posters on the wall. Hearing them approach, he turned around and smiled cheerfully as Kate rushed towards him and flung her arms around him, “Tom!” She breathed as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

 

“Hi gorgeous.”

 

“What are you doing here?” She asked, pulling back so she could look at him.

 

“I had a bit of spare time before I have to be at the theatre, so I thought I’d come and take you out for lunch!”

 

Kate’s face dropped, “Oh… I’d already made plans with Roxy.”

 

She turned to see Roxy standing nervously in the doorway and beckoned her forwards, “Tom, this is Roxy… Roxy, this is Tom.”

 

“Hi!” Roxy stammered, and Kate smirked. She could tell she was a bit star struck.

 

“Hello Roxy!” Tom replied, flashing her one of his killer smiles, “I’ve heard a lot about you. Why don’t we all go out to lunch together?”

 

Roxy looked excitedly between Kate and Tom, “I wouldn’t want to get in the way…”

 

“I think that sounds like a great idea.” Kate replied. She could see Roxy was desperate for a chance to get to know Tom a little and as much as she wanted Tom to herself, she couldn’t deny her friend the opportunity to chat with one of her favourite actors.

 

They headed out of the museum and along the road to one of Roxy and Kate’s regular lunchtime haunts. It was a quiet little coffee shop along a side street and it served the most amazing toasted sandwiches and cakes. 

 

Once they’d placed their orders at the counter they took a seat in the corner and Kate let Roxy lead the conversation as she asked Tom questions about his films and the other Marvel actors. Kate sat quietly next to him, her hand on his thigh as she watched him engage with Roxy. She squeezed gently and his concentration faltered for a second as his breath caught in his throat. He glanced across at her and smiled, reaching down to place his hand on top of hers. 

 

Soon their food arrived and the conversation slowed down as they all ate, Kate and Roxy telling Tom about the exhibition at the museum that they were working on. Suddenly, Tom’s phone started to ring from its place on the table, the display lighting up with Charlotte's name. Kate’s body tensed immediately as she looked from the phone to Roxy, and then to Tom. 

 

Tom put down his sandwich and grabbed his phone. “Sorry, I just need to take this” He mumbled, his mouth still full of food as he stood and walked away from the table, answering the call as he stepped outside. Kate and Roxy both watched him go before Roxy turned back to her, raising her eyebrows, “Well… okay.”

 

Kate sighed and ran her hands down her face, groaning. She was starting to feel like she was in competition with Charlotte for her own boyfriend's attention. She didn’t want to become a jealous possessive partner, but Charlotte was making it so damn  _ hard. _

 

After a few minutes Tom returned, apologising profusely as he sat down and continued eating. But for the rest of their lunch, Kate felt uneasy. When she kissed him goodbye to head back to work, she hated the fact that she was sending him off to see Charlotte. 

  
  



	8. Happy New Year

The next couple of weeks went by fairly quickly. Tom was busy promoting his play, going to interviews and even attended a special on BBC radio. Kate threw herself into her work, doing whatever she could to pass the time by quickly. She had a calendar on her desk with the date circled of when Tom would be done with theatre.

Just two more months. Two more months of the late, half tired conversations, the rushed chats at lunch and the brief meetings over the weekend.

Kate was so proud of Tom, she admired his dedication and his talent, but she would be relieved when it was over. They would be able to spend more time together and she wouldn't feel pathetic when Tom apologized over and over for either having to cut their time short or his lack of them being able to make solid plans.

Late into November, Tom was scheduled to have a free weekend while the theatre had an event going on. Kate had practically stayed with Tom the entire weekend. They turned their phones off and unplugged from social media for most of it, only checking their messages periodically in case an emergency came up.

On that Sunday, they laid in bed pretty late, cozied up with each other. Tom stroked her hair, staring across the room at nothing in particular, deep in thought about his plans over the next few weeks. He knew he should tell Kate what was going on, he owed her that much. He’d been absolutely difficult to try and spend time with, with how occupied he'd been with everything. He wondered how Kate put up with it, he felt like she was always getting the short end of the stick when it came down to her or his career. He was surprised he hadn't run her off yet. The girlfriend he'd dated when he first started to become famous hadn't been as tolerant of it as Kate. She’d been so patient and said she understood every single time, but he knew she was suffering for it. He'd have to do something special for her when this was all over.

He closed his eyes when he felt Kate softly brush her fingers along his jawline, exhaling through his nose in contentment. Glancing down at her, he felt his heart pick up its pace. He couldn't put off telling her any longer. “Kate…”

She tilted her head, brushing her lips against his. “Yeah, love?”

“There’s something we need to talk about.”

“Okay…”

Oh God, that probably sounded awful. No explanation, just the ‘we need to talk’ line. No wonder she sounded anxious. “It’s about the holiday.” He rushed out. “There's good news and bad news. Good news is, I have the week between Christmas and New Years off, so there will be no theatre.”

Kate smiled, “That's great! You deserve a break. Longer than three days.”

Tom returned her smile for a brief moment. “Bad news is that I have to fly out just two days after Christmas for the final audition of that movie I told you about… and I won't be back until the day after New Years. And I start back with theatre immediately the next day.”

Kate processed his news and swallowed the lump forming in her throat. She reminded herself, _just two more months_. Kate forced a smile, “Okay. I’ll be here when you get back.”

Tom sighed, holding her closer and dropped a kiss to her hair. He could sense her disappointment, even though she tried to play it off. “I’m sorry… It won’t always be like this, I promise. Just endure this frustrating schedule for a bit longer.”

Kate nodded, not trusting her voice to speak. She closed her eyes, willing the tears away. She chastised herself, thinking about how she hadn’t known this man long enough to feel so attached to him and think like a spoiled child. This was life. This was _his_ life, and who was she to stand in the way of his career? If she really cared about him, she could do this. But for now, she needed a distraction, something to take her mind off of it.

Sliding her hands downward, she stroked his stomach, moving toward his waist, playing with the waistband of his boxers. Tom’s breath hitched when she slipped it inside, rubbing along his pelvis. Kate turned to kiss his chest, running her tongue slowly upward, dropping kisses along his skin as she went. Her fingers ran along his balls, gliding up his shaft to grip him in her hand. He was quickly becoming hard and ready for her as she gave him her undivided, affectionate attention. She pushed his boxers down and rolled over on top of him, leaning down to kiss him as she straddled him. Sinking down onto him, she rolled her hips languidly, taking her time, drawing out their pleasure. They spent the whole afternoon like this, exploring and taking care of each other, in no rush to do anything before they returned to their busy lives.

 

* * *

  
  


The time between then and Christmas wasn't so bad. As promised, Kate finally brought Roxy to see a show. She spent a little more time with her friends on the nights after work that Tom was either too busy or tired to do anything but go home and sleep. However, they were actually able to see each other a lot easier than when he first started performing. Kate was determined not to become that needy girlfriend.

When Christmas rolled around, they balanced spending time with their families and seeing each other before Tom left for Los Angeles. Kate was insistent on seeing him off at the airport. They huddled together in a quiet, secluded section to say their goodbyes. Neither of them wanted to let go, but when Tom glanced at the time, he reluctantly pulled away after one last kiss.

On the ride home, Kate wondered how often they would get to chat while he was away. There was an eight hour time difference, so it would be extremely difficult and their opportunities would be limited.

Kate tried to call him on his second day away after she got home from work after only hearing from him when he landed, which she had been asleep for. He didn't answer and she quickly did the math and wondered if he had gone to bed already. Trying not to get too disappointed, she got up and made her coffee, mentally preparing herself for the day.

She’d just gotten out of the shower when her phone rang. Wrapping her towel around her quickly, she dashed into her room and grabbed it off of the nightstand. Her eyes lit up when Tom's name flashed up on the screen and answered it. “Hey Tom!”

“Hey darling, sorry I didn't hear my phone go off when you called just a bit ago.”

“That's okay, I thought you might have gone to bed already.”

“Oh, no, I've just been going over the script before the audition tomorrow. I don't think I'll be going to bed for quite a while.”

Kate glance at the time, “Well, don't stay up too late or you'll be exhausted tomorrow.” She heard giggling in the background and it caused her to frown and her heart to speed up. “You have some company?”

“Yeah, Lottie came by the room and wanted me to go through it with her.”

“....Charlotte? You mean she's auditioning, too?” _And she's alone with you in your hotel room?_

“Yeah, I thought I mentioned it before… She's auditioning for the female lead, so she's been nervous and asked for my help.”

“I'm not nervous, Tom!” Charlotte laughed.

Kate closed her eyes, her hand tightening around her phone as Tom joined in. “Anyway, I'm going to get going so we can finish this and be done at a decent hour.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose, “Alright Tom. Try not to stay up too late, okay?”

She heard him chuckle, “Don't worry, I won't. Have a great day at work, Kate.”

“Thank you... and good luck with the audition.”

“Thanks. I'll have a chat with you tomorrow, then!”

“Okay. Bye Tom.”

“Bye!” The call closed out and Kate threw her phone down on the bed and collapsed down next to it with a frustrated sigh.

She recalled their original conversation about this new movie and she had come to terms with the fact that it was a romance movie and he would have to cozy up with some other actress through some scenes. He didn't quite know some specifics, so she had no idea what this meant yet. Surely they would have to kiss, but… what _else_ would they have to do?

Her mind drifted to his scenes in The Night Manager and Crimson Peak and she swallowed. Would they have to do something like that? Would he have to hold her close in a bed and kiss her with as much passion as that? Tom was not shy when it came to scenes like that, so she wouldn't be surprised if there was a tongue thrust in there somewhere. Could she handle it if she had to see Tom kissing her, with his skill of illusioning lust and passion?

As if she wasn't already tormented enough, the image of them going over a kiss scene while they were in his room, crossed her mind. Would that stop there? Charlotte was frustratingly beautiful and she feared Tom wouldn't be able to resist his blond hair, blue eyed costar.

Kate was distracted on her way to work with those thoughts plaguing her mind. She was driving herself crazy with paranoid scenarios throughout most of the day and she felt herself becoming irritated. Just who did Charlotte think was? With full knowledge that Kate was his girlfriend, what was she doing going to Tom's hotel room alone and so late at night? This is what she meant by not trusting her. There was an agenda there, she knew there was. Kate had only seen Charlotte twice, but both times she had this look on her face and gave off this terrible vibe, like she wanted Tom.

She felt the overwhelming urge to remind Tom who his girlfriend was, if he was going to be around Charlotte while he was gone. Kate needed to keep Tom's mind on _her_ , not the woman who was seemingly trying to worm her way in between them. But what could she do from so far away? It wasn't like she could just hop on a plane and go there, beg Tom to not see Charlotte anymore.

Suddenly she got an idea. The clock could not get her to her break time close enough. She tapped her fingers on her desk while she worked, glancing at the clock every couple of minutes. When she finally was okay to leave, she clocked herself out, gave a little wave toward Roxy and hurried down the hall.

She had exactly twenty minutes to get back to her desk. She prayed this would go smoothly. Stepping into the conference room, she closed the door, locking it and shutting the blinds down. She looked around the room and picked a chair, kicking her heels off and propping her feet up on the chair next to her as she rang Tom. Kate prayed she caught Tom at the right time. It was still pretty early, so she hoped he'd still be in his room.

“Good morning, Kate!” When Tom's voice came through the other end, her heart jumped in excitement.

“Good morning, Tom. Have I caught you at a bad time?”

“No.” She heard him stretch and groan as he did so. “I'm just lying here before I have to get up for the day.”

“You're still in bed? You haven't gotten dressed yet?” Kate closed her eyes and pictured him lying there naked next to her on his side, his elbow propped up with his heated gaze on her.

Tom chuckled. “No, I haven't left the bed yet. I don't have to leave for another hour yet.”

“I wish I was there with you…”

Tom's sighed as he replied, “I wish you were here, too.”

Kate smiled wickedly, “What would we be doing if I was?” She heard Tom let out a breathy chuckle, and before he could say anything she continued, “Imagine if I was there… waking you up with my mouth around your cock.”

Tom let out an almost inaudible groan, “Kate.”

“Are you thinking about it?”

“Yeah…” Tom whispered.

“Now touch yourself. I want you to close your eyes and imagine your hand is my mouth.”

Kate could hear rustling on the other end of the line and then Tom moaned softly, “Fuck...”

Kate could see him in her head, covers pushed down as he stroked himself, his eyes closed and his head dropped back against the headboard. Her body ached at the mental images as she unbuttoned her trousers to enable her to slide her hand into her underwear and rest between her legs.

“How does it feel?”

“G-Good… it feels good.” Tom mumbled and his breath hitched.

“I’m running my tongue over the head of your cock, just the way you like it.” She purred, as Tom’s breathing got heavier, “And now I’m crawling back up your body and straddling you… Do you want to be inside me?”

“Yes… God, yes!” Tom panted.

Kate rubbed her finger over herself, her own breath catching as she circled her clit.

“Kate, are you…?” Tom began.

“I’m thinking about how big you are, how you fill me up… I’m so wet right now, Tom.”

“Shit.” He cursed.

Kate was finding it hard to talk now as her body began to tingle and she listened to Tom’s breathing getting heavier and heavier, “Do... you like it when I’m on top? My breasts bouncing as I... ride you?”

“Oh my god, Kate, I’m gonna come.” Tom gasped.

“I want to hear you.” Kate encouraged him, “I’m so close, too. I want you to think about how good it feels when I clench around your cock, and I want you to come for me.” Her own orgasm was threatening to take her at any moment, and she closed her eyes and gasped as she rubbed her fingers over clit frantically. “Tom…” She moaned his name quietly into the phone.

Tom let out a couple of breathy moans “I’m coming… Fuck, I’m coming!” He made a sound that was something between a grunt and a growl and the line went silent for a few seconds before he blew out a long breath.

Kate imagined him spilling all over his hand and his stomach and that was all it took to have her coming too, biting her lip and whimpering as the waves of pleasure surged through her body.

Neither of them said anything for a while, both just trying to steady their breathing and calm themselves down. Eventually Tom chuckled, “Just when I think you couldn’t turn me on any more than you already do, you go and do that. How am I supposed to concentrate on anything else for the rest of the day now?”

_Mission accomplished._

  


* * *

  


Aside from the audition, Kate was on Tom's mind the entire rest of the day. Whenever he thought of Kate’s voice, purring his name and the soft moans in between her dirty words, his pants became incredibly tight and he'd have to force those thoughts out of his mind, only to return again not too long after. She’d surprised him, and in the best way. Next time he'd be ready. He'd make her come just as hard as he had. He'd dominate it then.

But for now, he would just need to get through the last few days so he could get back home and see her, even more so since she’d told him that she’d be spending New Years Eve with Zack in London. She'd been so excited as she’d told him how they had managed to get tickets to a exclusive party in a central London hotel with a rooftop terrace that would give them an uninterrupted view of the fireworks at midnight. Tom had tried to sound interested but inside he was burning with jealousy. He wanted to be the one she hugged at Midnight, not Zack. It should be him kissing her into the new year and singing Auld Lang Syne with her. He barely made it past two days before he was arguing with Luke about cancelling the obligation that would keep him from flying out before New Years. He just wanted to get home and finish out the holiday break with his girlfriend.

So, Tom was on the plane back home extremely early on New Years Eve, after agreeing to at least move the interview up to the night before, so he wouldn't miss out completely. He tried his hardest to sleep a little during the long 10 hour travel, but being that he had to grab a last minute, fully packed flight, he was unable to stretch his legs like he normally could in a first class seat. He was crammed between two other people and sitting in front of a child who liked to tap on the seat with their feet.

 _It was worth it,_ he told himself. _This was all to see Kate._

After an exhausting go around with customs and claiming his luggage, he sat through the worst traffic. There was only an hour left until midnight and Tom was getting anxious that he wouldn't make it in time. He'd barely made it to the hotel in time, only giving him about ten minutes to find Kate. The line for the elevators, the ones that worked, was incredibly long, so he opted for the stairs. With his long legs being able to take two steps at a time, he was up to the top floor in no time.

He threw open the door to the rooftop and quickly glanced around for Kate. God, there were so many people. He couldn't yell for her, because she wouldn't have been able to hear him over the music and the people talking, and if by some slim chance he was able to be heard, he didn't want to attract the attention to himself.

He brushed past the drunken people, weaved in and out of groups standing together and looked at every dancer, his head turning at every flash of dark brown hair he caught glimpse of. He even looked for Zack's golden brown mop of hair. He'd breath a sigh of relief at every couple he noticed were making out and hadn't been them, until the paranoid thought crossed his mind that maybe they'd left the party early and snagged a room downstairs. What if Zack had made a move on her, knowing she was upset and vulnerable since he wasn't there. He should have been here sooner! Where were they?!

Time was quickly running out. Tom turned on his phone screen. One minute to midnight. He let out a frustrated, impatient breath. Kate had to be here. She wouldn't have done this to him. Not her. But it was his own fault. He was away too much, practically pushing them to spend more time together, giving Zack every opportunity to console her, to show her that _he_ would be there.

He wouldn't give up.

Tom rushed through to the opposite side of the terrace and stopped.

There was a woman standing in front of the railing, her hands rested on top of it just in front of her. Her long curly hair cascading beautifully down her back. The dark blue dress she wore hugged her curves perfectly, the flow of the hem resting just halfway down her thighs, showing off the rest of her long, slender legs. He hadn't even seen her face or the front of her dress yet, and he knew already how magnificent she looked. _She_ was his girlfriend. He'd finally found Kate.

_10… 9…_

Tom rushed forward as everyone started audibly counting down.

_8…_

His arms went around her, sliding to her stomach, leaning in to smell her hair. It smelled of apples, like it always did. As his nose brushed her soft, silky hair, he smiled. In such a short time, he became addicted to the alluring, feminine aroma of her shampoo.

_7…_

“Kate.” Tom sighed, relieved to have her in his arms again.

_6…_

A gasp escaped her lips as he spoke into her ear.

_5… 4…_

Kate turned around in his arms, looking at Tom with a wide smile. God, he couldn't believe he was here, that he'd made it in time. Seeing her adorably cheerful face as it lit up upon recognition, made his heart squeeze and butterflies thrash around in his belly.

_3… 2…_

Tom grabbed her face between his hands and pulled her forwards.

_1…_

“HAPPY NEW YEAR!” Everyone shouted as fireworks went off.

Tom sighed against her lips when they met. Sparks shot out throughout his body and held her tighter to him. In that precious moment, he didn't care how cold it was, or who was watching. The only thing he could focus on was the feeling of her pressed against him, lips moving with his as she held onto him tightly, as if he would be dragged away from her at any moment. He reveled in the softness of her skin, the way her jaw moved underneath his hands as she matched his passion through their kiss, the way her neck moved as she leaned further in. Is this what he really would have missed if he hadn't insisted on coming home?

No, that didn't matter. What mattered, was that he was actually here, with Kate. And he probably wouldn't let her go for the rest of the night.

Tom pulled back to look at her, smiling at her dazed expression, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. With the little sigh that escaped her lips, he knew she was as content as he was. “Happy New Year, Kate.” He said to her before kissing her again. Happy, indeed.

 

* * *

  


After the initial shock of Tom having shown up, Kate looked between an uncomfortable Zack and an eager to leave boyfriend. As much as Kate wanted to get out of there with Tom, she couldn't just ditch Zack because he had turned up when she thought he'd be gone for another two days. They had originally planned to attend this party together, so it wouldn't be fair to him. So, instead she suggested the three of them just hang out there for a while.

Neither of the two guys wanted to make her feel uncomfortable, so they agreed, but didn't talk to each other much. Kate left them briefly to go and get drinks. Tom stared as she walked away, watching her hips away and her hair swish behind her. God, he missed her. When he glanced over at Zack, he was looking at her then same way he was.

This wasn't the first time Tom felt those vibes radiating off of him. He'd seen it the night he picked Kate up from his flat when the paparazzi had followed her. He wondered if Kate knew. He hoped she didn't and that she never would. Tom clenched his fists, wanting to say something, but he kept quiet. Not wanting to start anything, he brushed it off.

Kate returned with their drinks and Tom slid his and around her waist, holding her close for the rest of the night. His hand switched from rubbing her waist, to playing with her hair, whispering into her ear about the room downstairs he'd booked for them while he made arrangements to get himself into the party. He was so anxious to get her alone and he was driving her crazy with desire to do the same.

She stalled for Zack, but he ended up making a comment about leaving soon. Kate felt relieved and guilty that he seemed to pick up on their mood, so she insisted on walking him down to the entrance of the hotel, seeing him off before Tom was taking her hand and leading her toward the elevator.

He pressed the button, his hand slipping around her shoulder and tracing circles on her skin as they waited for the doors to open. Thankfully, they were the only ones going in when it had come down. Tom pressed the button for the sixth floor and when the doors closed, he cornered her.

His hands traveled up and down her sides as he kissed on her neck. “See what your teasing has done to me, Kate?” Tom took her hand in his and guided it down to the front of his trousers so she could feel him straining. “Now I'm going to show you exactly what I would have done to you if you'd been in bed with me the other day.”

Kate moaned, her cheeks flushing as he brought her from the corner and through the now open elevator door. When had it stopped? She hadn't heard it ding at all.

Tom tugged her down the hallway, walking so fast she could barely keep up with him. The further down the hall they got, the faster her heart beated. She could see him undoing his belt as they rounded the corner towards their room and it made her ache to think of what was to come.

He stopped outside of the door and pulled her toward him, causing her to crash into him. Kate let out gasp, her hands landing on his chest as he moved to press her against the door, kissing on her neck. He reached into his pocket and grabbed the card key, feeling around for the key slot. It was a struggle to find it, it seemed like he missed it every time he went to stick the card in, so he broke from her with a frustrated growl. After finally unlocking the door, Tom pulled on the latch, throwing the door open and shoving Kate inside.

The moment the door shut behind them, Tom was on her again, slamming her back against the door and pressing himself against her. “You have no idea how much I've missed you this week.” he moaned. His hands were already fumbling for the bottom her dress, hitching it up to her hips as he captured her mouth in a hungry kiss.

Kate fumbled with his shirt buttons, already breathing heavily as she desperately tried to rid him of the piece of clothing in her way. She needed him just as much as he needed her.

Tom slipped his hand inside of her panties, causing her breath to hitch and her movements to falter on his shirt. He moaned when he felt how wet she was for him already. “You're not going to be able to walk tomorrow after I've finished with you.” He whispered, releasing her to finish unbuttoning his shirt where Kate had left off.

She squeezed her legs together, shivering in involuntarily at his words laced with promise. Snaking her arms around his neck, she brought his lips back to hers, kissing him hard.

Tom finished undoing his trousers, pushing them down his legs and she felt his cock brush against her thigh. His hand reached back between her legs, pushing them apart and tugging her underwear to one side. He lifted her leg, wrapping it around his waist and gripped her hips. Once he'd picked her up, he bent his knees and pushed into her roughly.

Kate gasped from the harsh movement, tightening her hold on him as he thrusted up into her. When he pulled back and slammed himself back in, settling into a rough pace, she could hardly think straight.

It was fast, dirty and desperate and Kate could already feel the pleasure building between her legs as they gasped against eachother's mouths. Tom's movements were starting to become less rhythmic and he whimpered obscenely, attaching his mouth to her neck. Kate moaned and dug her nails into his back, tilting her head to the side as he sucked on her neck harshly. He was determined to leave his mark on her before the night was over. He hated that Zack seemed to always be with her when he wasn't around, despite their status as best friends. Kate was _his_ and he was going to make sure to leave her a reminder. He wanted her to feel him everywhere. On her neck, her thighs, between her legs… he'd meant it when he said she wouldn't be able to walk tomorrow. He was going to _ruin_ her in the best way possible. He was going to make her scream his name until she came, over and over again until she was so sensitive she was begging him to stop.

He pounded into her with renewed urgency, his hips snapping back and forth frantically. Suddenly Kate cried out, her walls convulsing around him and he moaned into her neck as he followed her to his own orgasm, burying himself deep in her as he came.

Kate tensed her whole body as waves of intense pleasure wracked her body. She closed her eyes, resting her head back against the wall as she panted heavily, trying to catch her breath. Her head was spinning and she hadn't even had that much alcohol earlier. She'd never been fucked so roughly against the wall before and she _liked_ it. Never had sex been so good before he came along. Tom lit her whole body on fire, beyond her control and it both scared and excited her.

“Tom.” She breathed, not really knowing what she wanted to say. She opened her eyes to find Tom staring at her, his eyes dark and full of lust.

“Darling, that was merely a warm up. I haven't finished with you yet tonight.” He leaned forward and whispered into her ear, “In fact, I've barely begun.”


	9. Surprise!

Kate awoke first that next morning. She glanced at the clock, stretched her muscles with a stifled groan, not wanting to wake Tom up. It was still pretty early and she had to assume he was exhausted. He’d just spent most of the day before traveling to be with her and the thought made her heart soar. Part of her couldn’t believe it. Despite his busy schedule and their time apart, she felt like it was a fairytale.

Their relationship was great, it was exciting. Not only did they have amazing sex when they had the opportunity, but Tom was genuine and caring. He treated Kate with respect, he was romantic and even though he had a busy life, he tried his hardest to check in on her and talk with her every chance that he had. That’s all Kate had ever wanted, was someone who contributed to the relationship as much as she did. Someone who wasn’t just in it for sex or for connections to something they wanted. Tom was that person for her.

She turned her head to gaze at his sleeping face. It was so serene and so handsome, it brought a smile to her face. Was this man really hers? Was this amazingly talented human being who sacrificed a normal life and worked hours on end to bring joy to others, hers?

Kate’s stomach fluttered and her heart squeezed more and more when Tom was around. He was her first and last thought of the day, whether she wanted it or not. He made her feel happy, special. She’d never felt this way about anyone else that she’d dated. Maybe this was it. Maybe this was the real deal. Maybe he was the one for her.

Careful not to disturb him, she slowly turned and slid out of bed with a wince. She didn’t want to leave, she wanted to stay in the warm bed and cuddle up to him, but she really needed to pee.

Kate looked around the room, which was pretty messy after their night of passion. They’d been up pretty late. Tom had taken her on pretty much every surface of the room. The wall, the desk, the chair, the bed. All they had left was the shower, which they were sure to do in their attempt to actually use it to wash up.

“You’re not leaving, are you?” Tom’s husky voice came from behind her.

She turned to look at him with a smile, realizing his eyes were still closed and wore a teasing grin on his face. “No, I’m just going to use the loo and I’ll be back.” She made her way into the bathroom, but not without struggling. Her thighs hurt, her back hurt, her arms, her neck… Kate gasped when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

Her eye make up was smeared, her hair desperately needed a brush, and her body was littered with hickeys. Her neck, her chest, her thighs… She was mortified by her appearance. She couldn’t let Tom see her like this, but what could she do? She’d just have to do the best she could.

Kate took a washcloth to her face, wiping her makeup off. She finger combed her hair as much as she could without pulling the rest of her curls out. Like it mattered anyway, she’d just be washing them out soon. Deciding it was a good as it was going to get, she returned to the room, slipping back into bed gingerly.

Tom reached for her when he felt her move in next to him. “What took you so long?” He mumbled, opening his eyes halfway to look at her.

Her cheeks flushed, “I was just cleaning myself up. I looked like a disaster.”

“Doubtful.” He stroked the side of her head, gazing into her eyes, “I think you look beautiful no matter what.” A smirk stretched lazily on his face. “Especially with my marks all over you.” He leaned forwards to place a lingering kiss on her lips. “I didn’t hurt you too bad, did I?” He gently ran his hand lightly along the curve of her side.

Kate giggled, “No, I’ll be fine. It was kind of worth it.” She groaned when he kissed her again, pulling her closer. She struggled to pull her head back, all she wanted to do was kiss him. “You should stop and go back to sleep before we start anything else. You barely slept more than a few hours.”

“I’ll be fine, I’m used to it. You’re more important.” He returned to her lips, drawing her in once more. They laid there for a while, kissing and holding each other. Lingered touches and caresses along their bodies, getting lost in each other, not bothering to think of anything else.

Things were starting to get heated again, but before they could get too into it, Kate’s stomach rumbled, causing Tom to chuckle and pull away. “Someone’s hungry.” He teased, causing her cheeks to flush. “Shall I order us some room service?”

Kate smiled sheepishly, “Sounds great.”

Tom placed a kiss to her forehead before he turned over and grabbed the menu from the nightstand. They looked it over, selecting their breakfast before Tom placed the call. The minute he hung up, he turned over and kissed her again. Kissing turned into touching, touching turned into Kate repeating his name over and over while his face was wedged in between her thighs. He’d take it easy on her today, well, as much as he could.

He couldn’t keep his hands off of her. He couldn’t get enough. All the times he spends away takes a toll on him and he finds himself craving some familiarity. Craving  _her_. She was quickly becoming one of the most important people in his life.

When room service came with their breakfast, Tom put some pants on so he could answer the door. Returning with their food, he placed the tray down on the bed and they began to eat. It was nice, not having to get up to cook something or go out to eat somewhere. Once they’d finished, Tom took the tray away and placed it outside of the room. On his way back to Kate, he went over to his suitcase and retrieved something from it, then he returned back to bed and slipped a gift in Kate’s hands.

Kate looked down at the wrapped present and then back up at him with a confused expression. “What’s this? We’ve already had Christmas last week.”

Tom grinned, “I know, but it’s not for Christmas. Go on, open it!” He urged, scooting closer to her as he rested against the headboard.

She placed the present on her knees and began to tear into it anxiously. Her eyebrows drew up at the book she held in her hands.  _Lonely Planet’s Best of New York City. Top sights, authentic experiences._ “What…?”

Why would Tom be giving her a book of New York City now? He hadn’t been there in months, so it definitely wasn’t a souvenir… unless he’d forgotten to give it to her then.

“Open it.”

“Okay…” Kate opened up the front page and there was a note scribbled in it,  _Flip to the page of a memorable place_. Kate squinted her eyes, thinking of what that meant. She studied the table of contents, before it jumped out at her.  _The Statue of Liberty._  Her heart was beating quickly, the thrill of not knowing what she’d find awaiting her on that page.

Turning the page to the number that was listed, she saw an envelope resting tightly in the crease, with another note written next to it.  _Thank goodness you remembered, or I’d feel like an idiot. Now open this envelope for a surprise!_

Kate carefully removed the envelope and opened it, sticking her fingers inside and pulling out what was inside. She couldn’t hold back the gasp that escaped her lips when she stared down at two plane tickets to New York. “Tom…” She slowly tore her gaze away from them to look at him. “You’re taking me to New York?”

“Surprise.” He was grinning as she flung her arms around his neck, ignoring the pain as she stretched her sore muscles. She kissed him hard, smiling widely.

“Oh my God, Tom!” She said between kisses. “I can’t believe it! This is great!” She pulled back to look at the tickets. The middle of February is when they were going. Through Valentine’s Day, she noticed. It would be so romantic! “Thank you… really, thank you!”

“Now, I have comic con to attend, so that first weekend will be really tight with my schedule, but I’ll get you passes and you’ll be able to meet other people and participate in all the festivities as if you were one of their other VIP guests. Then after its all over, you have me all to yourself. I have no other obligations after that. I know how much you’ve been wanting to go and I’ll have just finished up with theatre and I don’t want to be apart from you again so soon. I hope that’s okay.” He laughed nervously, feeling embarrassed for rambling.

“You hope that’s okay?” She giggled, “I feel the same way. Thank you for thinking of me. It’s incredibly sweet.” She kissed him again and tucked the tickets back into the envelope and wedged in back inside the book for safe keeping. She placed the book on the nightstand and moved to straddle him. “Can I show you how appreciative I am?” She draped her arms around his neck again.

His cock twitched with excitement, “Are you sure you’re up for it?”

Kate smirked against his lips, “I’m a big girl, Tom. You’re the one who went to town last night.  _And_  this morning. Are you sure you are up for it?” She wiggled her hips, feeling him hard underneath her, “You seem like you are to me.” Tom chuckled as he kissed her, sliding his hands up to her back and the back of her head to press her tightly against him.

He couldn’t wait to take her to New York. He wanted to take her to see everything he had and explore new places with her. He wanted to take a stroll through Central Park and along Broadway street. He wanted to hold her and and forget everyone and everything. Tom also couldn’t wait for the other surprise he had for her. He had a feeling she would really enjoy it.

 

* * *

 

 

Kate was sitting in Tom’s dressing room, fidgeting impatiently as she waited for him to get back. He’d just finished his last performance and she knew a lot of people would want to stop him to chat, but they didn’t have that long before they would have to leave for the after party and every moment he was being held up was a moment less they had alone. She’d just started to pace the room when she heard Tom’s voice getting closer and closer until he was saying goodbye to whoever he was talking to and the door was opening and Tom was slipping in, smiling widely at her, “Hello.”

He opened his arms and Kate rushed towards him, resting her head against his chest and breathing him in contentedly as he held her. It had been just over a week since they’d last seen each other but every day had felt like a month, and Kate was about to show Tom exactly how much she’d missed him.

“How long until we have to leave?” She mumbled.

Tom released her to look at his watch, “About fifteen minutes.”

Kate gave him a smug smile, reaching for his belt and unfastening it. She wasted no time in freeing him from the confines of his trousers before dropping to her knees and taking him in her hand, stroking him slowly a couple of times as she looked up at him. Tom was watching her hungrily, biting at his bottom lip.

Maintaining eye contact, Kate ran her tongue along the length of his cock, causing his eyes to flicker shut as he moaned softly. She took him into her mouth, swallowing him as far down as she could and he moaned again, burying his hands in her hair, “Kate…”

Gripping the base of his cock with her hand, she slid her mouth up and down, flicking her tongue against his shaft as she did. Tom’s breathing was getting heavier and his hands were now on the back of her head, gently guiding her into a rhythm.

“Kate… I’m gonna…” He stuttered, trying to warn her as the familiar feeling started to build. But she moved over him quicker as her other hand came up to cup his balls, squeezing them gently.

“Oh God!” Tom choked, dropping his head back as his orgasm claimed him and he spilled to Kate’s mouth with a grunt.

Kate glanced up at him, swallowing and getting back to her feet,

“We can go now.” She said, smiling sweetly at him.

Tom let out a breathy laugh and pulled her towards him, kissing the top of her head. “It’s your turn later.”

Kate hummed and reached around, squeezing his bum, “You better put your trousers back on.”

They straightened their clothes out and Kate took a few moments to smooth her hair and touch up her makeup in the mirror before they set off for the afterparty. They travelled in a comfortable silence, holding hands as Kate stared out the window of the car, deep in thought. She couldn’t say she was looking forward to this party really, the idea of having to see Charlotte again causing her stomach to sink. But she just needed to get through tonight. If she could just manage that, then she had Tom all to herself for a couple of days and then they flew to New York. She could  _do_  this.

As the car pulled up outside the hotel where the party was being held, Tom leant across and she felt his breath on her cheek before his lips brushed gently against her skin, “Ready?” He whispered.

Kate took a calming breath and turned to him, smiling and nodding. Tom climbed out the car and rushed around to open her door, offering her his hand as she climbed out. They climbed the steps to the entrance and Tom slid his arm around her shoulder, holding her tight against him as they made their way through the doors and along the corridor to the private suite where the party was being held. The first thing Kate heard as they entered the room was Charlotte’s laugh and she couldn’t help but roll her eyes as she saw her, surrounded by an audience of people who were quite clearly hanging on her every word. Within seconds though she had noticed Tom and Kate’s arrival and was weaving her way through the crowds towards them.

“Here she is!” Tom declared happily as she approached. Kate could feel her blood pressure rising as Tom let go of her to hug Charlotte, kissing her chastely on the cheek, “What do you want to drink? I’m just about to get one for Kate and I.”

Charlotte fluttered her eyelashes as she nodded, “Surprise me… you know what I like.” She added, winking at him. Kate bit her lip and picked aggressively at the strap of her bag to prevent herself from punching her.

“I’ll come with you.” She glanced at Tom but he held his hands up.

“It’s okay darling, I can manage. Stay here, I’ll be back in a minute!”

Before she had a chance to argue, he had dashed off towards the bar leaving Kate and Charlotte both staring after him. Eventually Charlotte turned back to her and they looked at each other awkwardly, neither of them having wanted to be left alone with the other. Charlotte put on her best fake smile, “So how long have you and Tom been seeing each other now?”

“Nearly four months.”

Charlotte hummed in response before continuing, “I have to say when Tom introduced us, you weren’t what I was expecting.”

Kate frowned at her, “Pardon?”

Charlotte flicked her wrist casually, “Well’ you’re not his usual type. I wasn’t expecting someone so…” She paused, looking her up and down as Kate folded her arms across her chest in annoyance as she waited for her to finish.

“So  _what_ , exactly?”

“So… normal.” Charlotte replied, her tone disapproving, “He usually hooks up with a similar status to him. You know, singers, models, actresses… some of them have been breathtakingly beautiful.”

Kate didn’t know whether to cry or slap her. How  _dare_ Charlotte speak to her like that! She would never have said any of those things in front of Tom, Kate was sure of it.

“Well, I’m not just a hook up.” She snapped. God, where was Tom with those bloody drinks?

Charlotte smiled at her, “Of course you’re not, honey.” She replied sarcastically.

Kate glared at her. What did she mean by that? She was just about to ask when Tom reappeared with their drinks and Charlotte turned on her sickly sweet smile again as he handed them both their drinks and turned to Kate, “I just need to take Lottie to say hi to a couple of people… We won’t be long, I promise.”

He leant down and placed a lingering kiss on her lips and winked at her before placing his hand on Charlotte’s back and guiding her away. Kate watched them go as Charlotte glanced over her shoulder, giving Kate a smug smile. She huffed in frustration and sunk into the nearest chair, taking a large sip of her wine and looking over to where Tom and Charlotte were deep in conversation with a couple of important looking men in suits. She remembered Tom mentioning that the directors of the film he’d just auditioned for were coming to the party, and assumed that must be who they were. She felt herself tense as Tom laughed at something they said as Charlotte giggled over dramatically too and slid her arm around Tom’s waist, placing her hand on his chest and sneaking a look at Kate, clearly pleased to see her watching. Why was she so determined to wind Kate up? The thing was, as much as Kate hated to admit it, it was working. And what made it worse was that she had thought that once the theatre stint was over, Charlotte would disappear again. But if they were cast together in this film, she’d be around for months. Her and Tom would be spending huge amounts of time together, and just what would their roles involve?

Kate looked back over to them to see that Tom now had his arm casually draped over Charlotte’s shoulder as they chatted easily. Kate trusted Tom completely and she knew the affection he was showing Charlotte was probably to help charm the Directors, but she couldn’t help but think Charlotte’s intentions weren’t quite so innocent and of course there was still a big question mark over what had happened in their past. Were there years old feelings lingering there somewhere? All Kate knew is that she wanted Tom as far away from Charlotte as possible.

 

* * *

 

 

The day before her New York trip with Tom, had Kate running around doing last minute errands. She was only able to take a half day at work instead of a full, since she was going to be gone for almost a week and a half, and she was already pushing it with that. Her boss wasn’t thrilled with the time she’d be away, but Kate promised to work a lot of hours on their next scheduled project when she got back.

Kate went shopping, grabbing a few new articles of clothing she’d been saving up for over the past month. She purchased two new dresses she thought looked really good and hoped Tom would like, a top and some new lingerie. She hadn’t worn it for him before and wasn’t even sure he’d like it, but she wanted to try something different than just a pair of matching lacy bra and panties set.

When she returned home, she got started on packing. Normally, she didn’t like to pack and would wait until the very last second and still be throwing things into the suitcase when she was supposed to be heading out the door. But, this time was different. She had music going, she was dancing around the flat as she flung things into the suitcase, worrying over the neat packing later.

Kate smirked as she pulled the lingerie out of the shopping bag and packed it away into the suitcase. She planned on having a lot of fun on this trip, well after the daytime activities were over. Tom did say it was the city that never sleeps…

A knock on the front door pulled Kate from the fantasies of seducing Tom throughout the week. They’d planned to have dinner together before his busy weekend at the Con. She had Carbonara cooking in the kitchen, which was probably due to be checked on soon.

She zipped up the suitcase, making a mental note for later to double check if she got everything. After letting Tom inside, she went to stir the noodles. She was able to turn around to ask him if he wanted anything to drink, when she felt his hands slide around her waist and resting on her stomach. His lips curled into a smirk against her ear, “Are you ready to go away with me tomorrow?”

Kate bit back a moan when his low, husky tone flooded into her ears. “Yes.” She breathed, sliding her hands over his arms. He pressed his lips into her hair, inhaling her scent.

“You smell good.” Tom began to press his lips down her neck and toward her shoulder as one of his hands slid down past her stomach. Kate let out a soft moan as she bit her lip,

“T-Tom, dinner…”

He chuckled, releasing her with reluctance. “Alright, alright, I’ll behave myself.” He kissed her cheek. “For now.”

She let out a breath, fanning her blushing face. She blinked a couple of times, mentally trying to clear the fog that had began to settle in her mind. Picking up the tongs to stir the noodles that were nearly ready.

Tom grabbed the wine she’d set out on the counter and began to pour them into some glasses while he waited. Once they sat down at the table, they began to talk about their day. Kate left out her little shopping trip, she wanted it to be a surprise. Tom went over their plans, reminding her of the time the car would be picking them up to take them to the airport. She groaned at the early time, but Tom reassured her they would be able to get some more sleep on the plane.

“It’ll be quite comfortable. There’s tons of leg room, the seats are padded well, they recline…” Tom reached over and grabbed her hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb gently.

She looked up at him with a smile, “That sounds lovely.”

“The car will take us to the private entrance at the airport and there will be a private lounge for us once we have gotten through as we wait for the boarding process. So, no one should bother us…” He looked up at her with a mischievous grin.

“A private lounge, huh?” When Tom hummed in confirmation, she giggled as she could practically vision what he was playing over in his head. “ Just what are you thinking of there, Mr. Hiddleston?”

“Miss Rees… My thoughts are one hundred percent virtuous, I assure you.”

Kate laughed at that, unable to hold it back. “I find that extremely hard to believe. That look in your eye tells me otherwise.”

“What look?” He asked, trying to sound innocent, but his expression gave him away.

“ _That_  look.” Kate replied, eyeing him from behind her wine glass as she took another sip, “The one that suggests you are thinking very wicked thoughts… thoughts that are anything but virtuous.”

Tom shrugged, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms as he smiled smugly at her, “Well who can blame me when my girlfriend is so irresistible?”

 _Smooth_.

Kate pushed her chair back and stood up, rounding the table and swinging her leg over Tom’s so that she was straddling his lap. She held onto the back of his neck as his hands dropped to her hips, squeezing them gently. “Are you trying to say this is  _my_  fault?”

“Mmmm hmmmm…” He answered, his hands sliding further down to softly cup her bottom as he leant forwards and captured her mouth with his. Kate would never get bored of kissing him. The way his tongue explored her mouth, somehow forceful but equally gentle, sent shots of arousal through her body. She let out a small moan and ground down into his lap, causing him to draw in a sharp breath.

Tom broke the kiss to lean around behind her, moving his dinner plate and wine glass out the way before picking her up and lifting her onto the table, causing Kate to squeal in surprise. Within minutes Tom had stripped her of her vest top, jeans and bra and was lavishing kisses across her stomach as she lay back on the table, her hands buried in his hair. His sweater had been discarded too and as he ran his tongue along her hip bone, he unfastened his belt and popped his jeans open, sliding them down his legs.

Slowly he hooked his fingers over the waistband of her panties and peeled them down her legs, following the movement with his lips, kissing all the way to her knees before her started to work back up again. Kate whimpered frustratedly as he stopped halfway up her thigh, standing up and reaching for her hands, pulling her to her feet. Gripping her hips, Tom turned her around and pushed her forwards so she was bending over the table, and she gasped as he pushed into her roughly, one hand on her back holding her down while the other rested on her waist holding her steady as he started to snap his hips back and forth urgently.

Leaning forward, Tom plastered his chest to her back as he reached down and and rubbed over her clit. Kate’s breath hitched in her throat and she shuffled her legs further apart to allow him better access. Tom wrapped his free hand tightly around her waist as he continued to pound into her, and his fingers worked her in a similar rhythm.

“Oh God…” She moaned, bracing herself on her forearms as the table creaked beneath her. She briefly wondered if it would hold until that familiar building sensation became too much to think of anything else.

Tom kissed the back of her shoulder, panting heavily and groaning against her skin.

Kate whimpered as she closed in on the edge of her pleasure and he sensed it, moving his fingers quicker than before. “Cum for me, Kate.” He breathed.

As if they those were the magic words, her walls clenched around him and she gasped as she hit her orgasm hard. Tom moaned and tightened his grip on her as came after a few more thrusts.

He dropped his forehead onto her shoulder, “Fuck…” His breath stuttered as he slowed his hips, feeling his cock pulsing as he spilled inside of her. “Kate…”

She closed her eyes as she panted underneath him, trying to regain a normal breathing pace. When Tom removed himself from her, he pulled her up and hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder.

“I very much enjoyed dinner, but I have to say dessert was exceptional.”

Kate giggled and slapped his arm playfully. He chuckled in response and released her, bending to gather up their clothes which were scattered all over the floor. He handed Kate her underwear with a smile and a wink as she took it from him and started to get dressed again. They tidied away their dinner plates and refilled their wine glasses before moving into the lounge and curling up in the sofa together. As Kate scrolled through Netflix, Tom sat behind her and kissed her shoulder gently,

“I have a confession.”

Kate stopped immediately and turned her head to look at him as best she could, waiting for him to continue as she tried not to panic.

“I asked our driver to pick me up from here tomorrow… I was thinking maybe I could stay here tonight?”

Kate couldn’t help the wide smile that spread across her face at thought of having Tom in her flat, in her  _bed_ , all night. She hummed happily as his lips brushed over her neck,

“I think that sounds perfect.”

“I brought my spare toothbrush… perhaps I could leave it here, you know, in case I stay again?”

Kate’s smile got even wider. Tom was really starting to establish himself as a permanent part of her life and again she couldn’t believe how lucky she was.


	10. NYC

Waking up next to Tom in her own bed was like a dream. The first thing she saw when her eyes fluttered open as their alarms went off, was the glorious sight of his naked body mid stretch. The tired groan that came out of his mouth made her smile as she yawned and did some stretching of her own before she rolled over to shut her alarm off.  
  
Normally she would have hit snooze and refuse to get up so early, but today was different. In just a couple of hours, they would be on a flight to New York and she was so excited, she couldn't think about going back to sleep at that very moment. But when Tom gazed at her with a lazy smile, holding his arms out in a welcoming manner, Kate couldn't help but scoot closer, snuggling into his warm embrace. He sighed in contentment as she tucked her head under his chin and rested it against his chest. “Are you ready to go away together?”  
  
Kate smiled with a nod, “Mhmm.” She hummed, trying not to be lured back to sleep by the comfort of being his arms.  
  
He gently shook her arm, “You can't go back to sleep though. We wouldn't want to miss our flight.”  
  
She sighed, “You're right. That wouldn't be a very good start to our vacation.” Raising her head, she gave him a kiss before reluctantly getting up with him so they could get some coffee going and begin to get ready to leave for the airport.  
  
They had about an hour until the driver would pick them up. Their bags were already packed, so all they had to do was wake themselves up a bit and get showered. Once the driver arrived, they loaded up their stuff into the trunk and got into the backseat. They made sure to bring coffee in to-go mugs for their thirty minute drive.  
  
The entrance they had to go through once arriving at the airport was secluded, as part of the special VIP package for celebrities and important guests. It protected their privacy and the paparazzi and reporters weren't allowed in, so they didn't have to worry about being spotted.  
  
After checking in and getting through security, they were lead to their own private lounge to wait in. They were told they didn't have long until their plane would begin boarding, and that someone would come and let them know when to come out.  
  
Tom took off his coat and hung it up on the coat rack before settling down into an armchair. Kate followed suit, placing her coat next to his.  
  
When Kate pulled her coat off, Tom immediately took her body in. His lustful gaze traveled up her legs and over her curvy backside. “You look so good in that dress… is it new?” Tom let out a groan as Kate turned around, and instantly her eyes settled onto the obvious throbbing between his legs.  
  
She moved toward his outstretched hand with a coy smile, “Possibly.”  
  
He pulled her to sit on his thigh and wrapped his arms around her waist. Kate cupped his cheeks and leaned over to kiss him. He sighed, dropping his hands down to cup her bottom, giving it a squeeze. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, sliding it along his. It wasn't long into the kiss before her breathing came out harder and Kate found herself hiking her leg up and over his other thigh so she could straddle him. She gripped the collar of his shirt and the kiss became more intense.  
  
Tom's cock was straining in his pants and she began to move her hips against his when she felt him throb, causing him to let out an inaudible moan. He pulled back from her, “I can’t wait until we get to New York… but we haven’t got much time, you think you can be quick for me?” His voice came out breathy and he was devouring her with his pupils blown wide.  
  
Tom brushed her hair to one side, pulling her back to him so he could attach his lips to her neck. He trailed kisses along her skin and felt her nod with a whimper and that's all he needed before he was undoing his trousers to free his hard cock. Kate pulled her dress up, pushing her underwear to one side.  
  
He pushed her down onto him forcefully and she gasped from the sensation of him burying himself inside of her. When her mind went completely blank, Tom squeezed her hips as a reminder that she had to hurry. She started to move and he guided her hips into a fast rhythm that had her panting within seconds. She clutched his shoulders tightly as she held her moans, so no one outside the room would hear them. It became a struggle though, one slipped out, so he silenced her with his mouth, taking the opportunity to moan himself.  
  
He chuckled into the kiss and broke away, “Quiet as well as quick, darling” He purred, as one of his hands dropped from her hip to delve between her legs, circling her clit.  
  
Kate let out a breathy laugh, "But it’s so--" She gasped and bit her lip hard when he touched her. Resting her forehead on his, her eyes screwed shut as she focused on holding back her cries. Tom nudged her nose with his, bringing her back to his lips to silence his own as got closer and closer.  
  
Her knees were beginning to hurt from the frantic pace she was riding him and realized she’d been holding her breath to stop herself from moaning loudly as Tom rubbed over her clit again. She couldn't help the whimper that escaped her lips as her orgasm claimed her.  
  
"Oh God, Tom!" She slid her fingers through his hair and clenched as she buried her face into his neck to muffle her moans. Tom moved his hand up to still her hips, thrusting up into her a couple more times before he grunted through his own.  
  
He sighed in contentment, kissing over her face a couple of times before settling on her lips, moving his hands to cup her cheeks.  
  
“Was that quick enough?” Kate asked, breathless as her chest heaved.  
  
There was a knock on the door, “Mr. Hiddleston, the plane is beginning to board now. You'll only have about ten minutes until they begin in your section.” A timid voice called through the door.  
  
“Thank you!” He called out and chuckled toward Kate. “I'd say.”  
  
She smirked at him, pecking him on the lips. Tom held onto her back, reaching over to grab a box of tissues off of the table. He grabbed a few, helping her off of him and cleaned up the mess they'd made carefully, so their clothes wouldn't get ruined.  
  
They straightened out their clothes and gathered their things before heading out to get on the plane.  
  
Kate's eyebrows flew up when they reached their seats. She looked around in their section and smiled as the attendant helped her with her carry on luggage. “This is where we're sitting?”  
  
Tom grinned, “Yeah. Perks of being famous.”  
  
Kate glanced at him as she slid into the window seat, “Number one perk, right here.”  
  
Tom sat down in the seat next to her and leaned in close, “Number one? Really?”  
  
“Well yeah, what else would it be?” She teased.  
  
He traced a finger across her arm, watching the goosebumps rise from her skin. “Oh, I can think of a few things.” He smirked when she shivered. “Are you cold, love? Need a blanket?”  
  
“More like a cold shower…” She mumbled, causing him to laugh and kiss her on the cheek.  
  
“Excuse me… Tom?”  
  
Both Kate and Tom looked up to see a shy looking flight attendant clutching something in her hand, nervously fidgeting with her sleeve. “Yes?”  
  
“Can I… please have a picture with you?” She revealed her mobile and gave him a sheepish smile.  
  
Tom flashed her a smile and nodded, “Sure. Would you like me to take it?” He offered as he normally did.  
  
She laughed, handing him her phone, “Thanks… I think I might make it blurry.”  
  
Kate watched their exchange with amusement, Tom laughing softly as she crouched down close, he stretched his arm out and angled the mobile to get them both in the picture before he pressed the button for the picture to take. He handed the phone back to her and she looked at it for a few moments, trying not to squeal.  
  
“Thank you so much! I think you're absolutely brilliant! Really, thank you!”  
  
Tom let out an embarrassed laugh and thanked her before she got scolded by another attendant, so she said goodbye and took her leave.  
  
Kate weaved her arm through his and smiled, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “You're so good with your fans. Always the gentleman.” She laid her cheek on his shoulder while Tom threaded his fingers with hers and rested his head against hers as they waited for the plane to take off.  
  
Kate tensed when the engines began to turn on and the plane backed out of the terminal. Tom gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, “You've flown before, right?”  
  
“Yes, but it's been a while. I just get a bit nervous is all.” He smiled at her nervousness.  
  
“It's alright, Kate. I fly so much that it honestly doesn't bother me anymore. We'll be there before you know it.” His thumb stroked the back of her hand and while she was still uneasy, she took some comfort in him being there beside her, reassuring her that it was going to be okay.  
  
Once they were in the air, Kate began to relax. Her hold on Tom's hand loosened and she sighed in relief. “Thanks, Tom.” She laughed softly, embarrassed at her reaction during liftoff.  
  
“It's okay.” He placed a kiss to her forehead and returned his head to its position against her. He talked with her for a while to keep her mind off of the idea of being in an airplane once the plane stabilized itself at a steady altitude. After a while, she stopped answering and when he craned his neck to see her face, she was asleep. He smiled before relaxing in his seat to do the same.  
  
Kate woke up after sleeping for a couple of hours. She quietly asked the same attendant as before, what time it was and groaned when she realized they still had a couple more hours left until they landed. She carefully reached into her bag, not wanting to wake Tom up and grabbed her earbuds, plugging them into the screen on the back of the seat in front of her. She scrolled through a list of movies and to her surprise, Thor: The Dark World was one on that list. How could she scroll past it?  
  
Glancing over with her bottom lip between her teeth, she decided to watch it while Tom slept. She eagerly hit the play button and set the earbuds into her ears. Kate tried her hardest to be quiet, but it was extremely difficult when Loki opened his mouth and a bunch of sass poured out of it. Finally, when it came to the part where Loki was sarcastically applauding Thor's driving skills as they made their way out of Asgard, she couldn't help as her chest rumbled with laughter, no matter how silent she was. This was one of her favorite parts of the movie, aside from his glorious fight scene not too much further than where she was at.  
  
Suddenly, her earbud was plucked out of her ear and Tom's voice  came through in a whisper in tune with Loki's next line, “You lied to me, I'm impressed.”  
  
Kate shivered and tore her gaze away from the sassy god and grinned at Tom. He pulled his hand out of hers and slid it over her stomach to hold her waist. “You like that, don't you?” He placed a couple of kisses to her shoulder.  
  
“Tom!” She scolded in a whisper. “We're on a plane!” She looked around and realized no one was even paying attention to them.  
  
He chuckled against her shoulder, “So?” His kisses traveled up toward her neck and she leaned away from him with a giggle.  
  
“Tom! I'm serious!”  
  
He sighed and leaned his forehead against her shoulder, “Alright, alright.” Tom mumbled, “I bet you'd let Loki do it if he were here.”  
  
Kate raised her eyebrows and laughed, “What?” She glanced over at him, “That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. Do you think Loki would be caught dead on a Midgardian plane? He'd hijack someone's private jet before he'd rely on a mortal to get him to where he wanted to go.”  
  
Tom lifted his forehead to stare at her. “You… are such a dork.” He laughed, “You're a bigger Loki fan than you lead on, aren't you?”  
  
Kate blushed and turned her head to look back at the screen, “I don't know what you're talking about.” She didn’t want to admit to Tom just yet that he was right. The more she watched Loki, the more obsessed she was becoming with his character. She also wasn’t going to admit to to Tom just how excited she was at the possibility of seeing him dressed in character over the next few days. But she couldn’t deny she had been imagining him seducing her dressed as Loki. As the thoughts filled her head again she shivered and Tom broke her from her daydream,  
  
“Are you okay darling? You’re shivering.”  
  
Kate turned to smile at him, “I’m fine. I think the air conditioning is a little cold, that’s all.”  
  
Tom took his coat from where it was laid across his lap and handed it to her, “Why don’t you try and get a bit more sleep? We have a couple more hours before we land.”  
  
“I’m gonna finish watching this I think.” Kate replied, turning to look at him, “But you should try and sleep some more, you have a busy couple of days ahead.”  
  
Tom nodded softly and started to get himself comfortable, closing his eyes as Kate turned her attention back to her film. She must have dropped off again because the next thing she knew, Tom was stroking her hair gently as he whispered, “Kate? Wake up darling, we’re about to land.”  
  
She turned her head to look at him, blinking sleepily as he took her hand and kissed the top of her head. She leant into his touch as her gaze drifted out the window of the plane to take in the the sight of New York coming into view as they made their descent. She squealed excitedly and moved to stare out the window, watching excitedly as they came into land.  
  
They were escorted quickly off the plane, through customs and to a private luggage collection point where they picked up their cases before being guided out to their waiting car. It was certainly a very different experience to anything Kate had ever had when she’d flown in the past where she’d been subject to endless queues and waiting around. She clung to Tom’s hand, her leg bobbing up and down with excitement as she gazed out the car window at the streets and Skyscrapers all around them.  
  
“Have you picked out some places from your guidebook that you’d like to visit?” Tom asked, pulling softly on her hand and causing her to turn around to look at him, as she smiled widely,  
  
“Of course!” She leant forwards to rummage in her bag for the book, pulling it out and opening it, holding it towards him as she continued, “I’ve marked each page with a post it, and there’s notes on when is the best time of day to go and special things of interest to look for!”  
  
Tom took the book and chuckled, “Wow, miss organised!” He flicked through the marked pages, stopping one one that showed a rooftop bar in Midtown with views of the Empire State Building, “How about we try and get a reservation here this evening?”  
  
Kate nodded enthusiastically, “I would love that!”  
  
Soon they were pulling up outside their hotel and the concierge greeted them cheerfully, taking their suitcases while they checked in. Once up in their suite, Kate started exploring the rooms as Tom had a chat with the concierge to try and arrange a reservation for them at the rooftop bar they had spoken about earlier. He left with a promise of letting them know if he could arrange it as soon as possible, leaving Tom to join Kate at the full length window in the lounge area, where she was staring out at the view of Central Park, her hand flat against the glass. He stood behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist, hooking his chin over her shoulder. Kate nuzzled against him, sighing contentedly, “This is perfect.”  
  
“ _You’re_  perfect.” Tom mumbled, his lips brushing against her neck, leaving barely there kisses. Suddenly, the phone started to ring and Tom reluctantly released her to go and answer it. A few minutes later he was back, smiling happily,  
  
“We have a reservation at seven thirty, so we have a few hours to kill. How about we unpack and then have a quick nap?”  
  
Right on cue, Kate yawned and immediately giggled, “Yeah, I think that’s probably a good idea.”

 

* * *

 

 

After a couple of hours sleep in a proper bed, Kate and Tom were both feeling a lot better and ready for some dinner. They climbed into a taxi for the ride across to the restaurant. Their server showed them to their table which was right next to the window, with amazing views of the New York skyline lit up against the night sky. Kate was like a kid in a sweet shop, she was so excited as her eyes darted from one place to another, trying to take in the buzz of the city below them. 

They ordered some fancy cocktails and placed their food orders and once their server had left them alone, Tom reached across the table to take Kate’s hands, stroking his thumbs gently across the back of them as he smiled at her. Her excitement was infectious and it was adorable. 

Tom watched her quietly as she struggled to keep her attention set on him, constantly being distracted by everything going on around them. When their food arrived they ate and chatted easily about their plans for the next few days at the Con, and then discussed what sightseeeing they would do in the days following that. 

After they’d eaten and settled their bill they went out onto the terrace to finish their drinks. They found a table tucked away in a corner and seated themselves, making use of the blankets draped over the chairs to keep themselves warm. Kate immediately pulled her phone from her bag and started taking photos of the Empire State Building before she turned to Tom, “Let’s take a selfie!”

  
She shuffled closer to him and held her phone out infront of her, trying to position them so the Empire State Building was visible behind them. Tom wrapped his arm tightly around her shoulder and they smiled into the camera, Kate taking a couple of shots. As she examined them on her screen a waiter approached, “Would you like me to take a photo for you?”  
  
“Yes please, thank you.” Tom replied, taking Kates phone from her hand and passing it to the waiter before tugging her to her feet and sliding his arms around her. Kate leant into him and they smiled again as the man took several pictures from different angles. He smiled as he handed the phone back,  
  
“Beautiful couple.”  
  
“Thanks again!” Tom nodded as he took the phone and gave it back to Kate, who still hadn’t let go of him, her hands holding his waist tightly as she huddled against him and shivered.  
  
“Come on darling, finish your drink and let’s go for a bit of walk to warm you up.”  
  
Kate reluctantly let go of him and swallowed the last of her cocktail, re taking Tom’s hand as he lead her down onto the street where she linked her arm through his as they strolled along towards Central Park, Kate still trying to take photos every few minutes and getting frustrated at her screen not working because she had gloves on. Tom chuckled and took the phone from her hand,  
  
“Kate, you’ve got plenty of time for taking pictures.”  
  
Kate frowned at him in fake annoyance as he tucked her phone into his pocket and guided her towards a bench by the Bethesda fountain. He sat down and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her tight against him in an attempt to keep her warm. Kate snuggled in to him, resting her head on his shoulder as she sighed contentedly,  
  
“Thank you.” She whispered.  
  
“What for?”  
  
“For this. This trip, this evening…” She lifted her head again to look at him, “No one has ever done anything like this for me before. It’s so thoughtful…”  
  
Kate paused again as she looked at him, stroking his cheek, “You’re amazing.”  
  
Tom smiled and leant up to capture her lips in a gentle kiss, “You’re pretty amazing yourself.” He mumbled against her mouth. He pulled back and looked up at her, tucking her hair behind her ear, “You don’t need to thank me. I like spoiling you. And besides…” he paused to grin cheekily at her, “I’d if left you at home you would have teased me all week again, and you know how it drives me crazy.”

Kate giggled as she rested her forehead against his, “I just like to remind you what’s waiting for you when you get home.”

“As if I could forget.” Tom replied, still playing with her hair, “I missed you so much last time I was away, there was no way I could leave you behind again... there was no way I could be away from you for that long again.”

Kate sighed, “How did I get so lucky?”

“I was thinking the same.” Tom whispered, pressing his lips against hers again, sweeping his tongue into her mouth as she let out a shaky breath. Suddenly a large drops of rain started to fall, bouncing off their faces and causing them to break apart as Kate yelped and Tom looked up to the sky, frowning.

“I thinks that’s our cue to head back to the hotel.”

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning, Tom and Kate woke up early so they could shower and order breakfast to be delivered to the room. Tom went over his schedule, when he would be taking pictures, when he would he signing things and when lunch was. He handed her a VIP pass, so she could go and take pictures with whoever she wanted and so she could get into some of the areas no one was normally allowed to go unless you were one of the celebrity guests or part of the crew.

They had a driver pick them up to take them to the convention center, which was a couple of blocks away from the hotel they were staying at. There was a private entrance that they went through to avoid the early rising fans that wanted to catch a sneak peek of Tom as he arrived to the venue.

Kate grasped his offered hand as they walked inside, following one of the managers that led them to a lounge room for them to wait in until the Con started.

She forced herself to stay calm when she realized Sebastian Stan and Chris Evans were in the same room as her, trying to avoid staring as they made their way across the room to greet them. She was nervous at first, but Sebastian and Chris were really nice and laid back, so it wasn't long before she began to relax and talk with them until it was time for them all to go out and do their thing.

Tom hugged Kate, gave her a kiss and wished her a good time. Reluctantly, they parted ways and Kate went to go walk around as the showroom filled quickly with people. She went from table to table, looking at all of the art pieces and comics.

She almost missed her chance to take an official Comic Con picture with Tom. Then she decided to take a picture with Sebastian and Chris together. By then time she'd finished with pictures, it was time to meet Tom back in the lounge room to eat lunch before he had to go and do autographs.

It wasn't until after lunch did she finally reach some Marvel content and her face lit up. Kate couldn't help herself when she came across a lot of different things she could buy. Then a table full of Loki stuff came into view and she skipped a couple of tables in her excitement, wedging her way between others crowded around it. Her eyes swept over the merchandise and one picture in particular caught her interest. It was fanart of Jotun Loki, perched on an icy throne.

When she reached for it, her hand collided with another. She drew her arm back in surprise, shifting her gaze to the woman next to her. “Sorry.” They mumbled in unison.

“Oh no, go ahead!” Kate smiled.

“It's alright, I probably shouldn't anyways! I already bought way too much stuff.” She held up a bag that was stretched about as far as comfortably possible without breaking. “I'm here through Sunday, I have to pace myself.”

Kate laughed and shook her head, “It's nearly impossible not to buy the whole table.” She picked up the artwork and studied it before she bought it.

“Beautiful, isn't he?” The taller woman next to her sighed as she glanced over at the picture.

The two girls hummed in agreement and they all laughed, then proceeded to talk about their favorite Loki quotes and scenes, all while slowly getting shifted away from the table as more people came by to look at the merchandise.

“Gosh, it's so nice to come to the Cons and meet other Loki fans.” The short blond commented, which she found out was Michelle, earning a nod from her friend, V.

“Are you here on your own?”

“Yeah, I'm just kind of walking aimlessly. I've never been to one of these before now.”

“Would you like to hang out with us? We've got a bit of time before we have to be somewhere.” Michelle offered with a warm smile.

“Sure!” Kate agreed, happy that she didn't have to walk alone anymore. She followed the two girls and they went around chatting and giggling over the Marvel stuff they came across.

“Hey, are you on Tumblr?” V asked Kate as they looked over a piece of artwork by someone that was advertising their username.

“Tumblr? Ah, no, I'm not. Should I be?”

The two friends exchanged looks and excitedly shouted, “YES!”

“Seriously, any Loki fan should be on Tumblr. There's so many pictures and gifs…” V added.

“And fanfiction.” Michelle grinned and Kate raised her eyebrow. “You've never read fanfiction?”

She shook her head, “No, I haven't.”

“Girl, you have  _no_  idea what you're missing. V and I write a bit, mostly about Tom, but I've got some Loki fics in the works.”

V checked her phone and nudged Michelle, “Hey, we've got our photo ops with Seb and Chris coming up soon. We'd better head over.”

She nodded and turned back to Kate, “It was really nice meeting you. Are you just here for today, or…?”

Kate shook her head, “I'm here the entire weekend.”

“Would you like to maybe meet up tomorrow or something?”

Kate smiled, “I'd love that!”

They parted ways and Kate smiled as she finished typing in the girls’ phone numbers so they could communicate about tomorrow's meet up.

That evening when Tom and Kate got into the car so they could head back to the hotel, he rested his head on her shoulder with a tired sigh.

“How did it go?” Kate glanced down at him and dropped a kiss to his forehead.

“Good, but so tiring. Did you have a nice time?”

“Yeah! I found some really cool art pieces that I can't wait to show you! Oh! I met these two really nice girls, V and Michelle! They offered for me to hang out with them and we got along really well. We're going to meet up tomorrow, too!”

Tom smiled lazily at her and chuckled at her enthusiasm. “I'll take that as a yes.”

Kate thought about something for a moment before she asked him, “Do you think you can get them into the panel with me?”

“Hmm… I don't know, I suppose it depends on if there's any room. Most of them sell out well in advance. I can check tomorrow though.”

“That would be awesome if you could.” She stroked his head as he nuzzled her shoulder. “But I know it's out of your control if you can't. Just thought I'd check. They're really huge fans of yours.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. We talked about you the entire time. They said that I should sign up on Tumblr. I think I'm going to make an account and check it out.”

Tom glanced up at her, “Tumblr? Oh God…” He laughed, throwing at hand over his face. “Just be careful.”

Kate giggled. “It can't be  _that_  bad.”

“Oh, trust me. When you've seen the things I have, after just a peek…” He shivered.

“Alright, I'll be careful.” She assured him as they pulled up to the hotel. “Now, let's go and order some dinner and get some sleep. You look like you're going to drop at any moment.”

 

* * *

 

 

Kate had a blast with Michelle and V on Saturday morning. They traveled from table to table, examining the wide range of merchandise available and Kate couldn’t resist buying a couple more Funko Loki’s to add to her collection.

She sat down to have lunch with the girls, and when she pulled out her phone to send a text to Tom, V noticed her background picture when she unlocked it.

“That picture looks pretty cozy. Do you…  _know Tom_?”

Kate smiled sheepishly, “Erm well… promise me you won't say anything to anyone, but… We're sort of dating.”

Michelle dropped the slice of pizza she had picked up to take a bite out of. “You… you're  _dating_  Tom Hiddleston?” She asked quietly.

Kate nodded, flipping through a couple of photos as proof. “We met a couple of months ago and we really hit it off. I had no idea who he even was until I met him.”

V stared at her with wide eyes, “You had no idea who he was? Really?”

“Well, I hadn't even watched any of the Marvel movies until we met. I wasn't that interested until I found out who he was. And now here I am.” She grinned.

Suddenly V clapped her hands together, “You know what? When we met yesterday I thought your face looked a little familiar but I couldn’t work out why. You were all over the tabloids a few months ago with Tom, walking Bobby! That was you, wasn’t it?”

Kate chuckled, “That was me, yeah.”

“Wow… What's it like dating a celebrity?” Michelle asked, picking up her pizza again.

“Well, it's… not the most ideal situation, since he's so busy all the time, but he makes as much time for me as he can.” Kate smiled. “And I get to experience a lot of cool things I never would have if I never met him. Like Comic Con.”

The girls bombarded her with questions and Kate tried to answer them all. She got a text from Tom about halfway through their lunch, so she had to excuse herself. He had been able to get her the passes for the panel, so she gave him a kiss and thanked him before going back to present them to the girls. Their squeals of delight made her feel happy, excited to attend it with them.

 

* * *

 

 

Going to the Panel was pretty exciting. She got to see Sebastian, Chris and Tom all talk and answer questions that the audience had, as well as discuss some important topics regarding their most recent movies and ones that were coming up.

About halfway through, a man got up on the stage and whispered something in Tom's ear. Kate saw him nod and she frowned in confusion when he got up to follow him off stage. She began to worry and checked her phone, wondering if everything was alright and she nearly got up to go and check.

The crowd began to protest and chat amongst themselves until one of the directors asked everyone to settle down. “Something came up that Tom needed to take care of. He'll be back, I promise.” His reassurance seemed to calm everyone down and he began to talk about other things until his mic shut off and suddenly the lights went out.

Murmurs filled the room a few moments later, confusion sweeping across the audience.

A familiar laugh echoed into the room. "My loyal servants..."

Kate's heart began to beat quickly as she processed what was going on. Gasps filled the room and the voice spoke again, "Here you gather, waiting for my return."

The lights came back on and there Tom was, dressed as Loki, standing in the middle of the stage with a smirk on his face. Kate's mouth dropped open as she stared at him in surprise.

“Oh my God!!” Michelle whisper-yelled, eyes about as wide as Kate and V's. The crowd began to scream excitedly, losing their ever loving minds.  
  
"I was able to fool my idiotic brother..." His voice got louder, trying desperately to be heard over the fans going crazy. He rose a finger to his lips, hushing them so he could speak. His smirk returned as he addressed the audience, "But not  _you_. Oh no... Not  _my_  army."

“Did you know about this?” V asked, turning to Kate excitedly.

Unable to take her eyes off Tom, she shook her head, “No, I… I didn’t” Her face flushed and she tried to keep her breathing steady. It was so hot, seeing Tom dressed up and acting like Loki in person. She desperately wished she could be closer. And when he turned his attention toward her and winked, she didn't know what to do. An ache grew between her legs as she thought about what she was going to do to him when she saw him later.

His performance gave her goosebumps and it was hard to think of anything else, but him. When he left the stage, she wanted nothing more than for him to return. Maybe she could meet him backstage and get a closer look at him with the costume on…

She opened her phone to send a text to Tom, but just as she began to type, he had already sent her a message.

_Meet me back in the room while I go and change. I have to stay back and do a few things, so I'll be a little while._

Kate was disappointed, not being able to see him in his costume. Maybe when they got back to London, she could convince him to wear it for her once. She said her goodbyes to her new friends and promised to chat with them later when she made herself a Tumblr account.

She got into a taxi and headed back to the hotel. Taking her time, she walked to her room in a daze, thinking of Tom's costume the entire way. What she wouldn't give to see him dressed as Loki again…

Unlocking the door to their room, she swung it open, letting it close and lock behind her. She took off her coat and hung it up in the closet and set her purse down on the side table by the door. She walked into the suite further, freezing in her tracks when she looked up and took in the tall form standing before her.

Long, black hair. Black leather with green and gold detail. Black boots. And a handsome smirk.

“Hello darling.”


	11. Loki

Kate opened her mouth to say something, but no words would come out.

 

Tom walked toward her, leather creaking and her heart pounding faster with every step. “Don't think I didn't notice you watching me earlier, little one.” He purred. “With those curious, lust filled eyes.”

 

Her chest began to rise and fall a little harder as he drew closer. She couldn't believe Tom was standing here before her, dressed as the very character of his she'd been obsessing over since she first watched the movies. There was no stage, no fans and no paparazzi. Just her and Tom, alone in their hotel room. Nothing to hold them back from indulging in her fantasy.

 

Kate reached out a shaky hand and touched the soft leather of the tunic, gently running it up and down, feeling it bunch between her fingers as she explored his suit.

 

“That's it, darling. Don't be shy.” He encouraged, sliding his hands around her waist to cup her bottom, giving it a tight squeeze. She gasped as Tom pulled her flush against him, her cheeks flushing from her arousal. Leaning down, his warm breath tickled her ear, making her shiver as he whispered, “Tonight, I'm going to give you  _ everything _ that your heart desires.” He hooked his finger under her chin, tilting her head up so that her eyes finally met his, before he spoke again, “Look at you, you're trembling.” His gaze turned dark, his pupils blown wide with lust as he took in her aroused state. “I long to see how your body reacts to my touch as much as I want to hear it. Will you strip for me?”

 

“Yes…” Kate's breathless reply made him chuckle wickedly and he stepped back to watch her as she bent slightly to peel her leggings down her legs, abandoning them on the floor beside her. Next, she reached for the hem of her sweater dress, slowly lifting it up her body and over her head, dropping it on the floor.

 

They way Tom's gaze hungrily took in the new lingerie Kate had bought just before the trip seemed to snap her out of her dazed state. She mentally thanked herself for deciding to wear it that day, of all days.

 

“Wait.” She began to pull the strap down, but Tom stopped her. He drew closer again and reached out to trace the lining of the strap, his fingers following it gently along her skin, running over her breasts and over the straps going across her rib cage that held the lacy garment together and it came down to a V just below her navel.

 

“Mmm…” When he took his hand away, Kate let out the shaky breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Her skin tingled where the tips of his fingers had brushed and she desperately wanted that touch back. She reached for him in an attempt to press her body against his, but he took hold of her wrists, “Ah ah ah, not yet my sweet. You know what I want you to do right now, don't you?"    
  
"I do. But I want to hear you say it." He had her panting, she wanted him so bad, it was driving her crazy.   
  
A smirk spread across his face as he let go of her wrists. "Kneel."   
  
Slowly, Kate sank to her knees, her eyes never leaving his. His arrogant command made her feel hotter than she did before. She looked up at him through her lashes and he began to strut around her, hands clasped behind his back. She heard him hum in approval from behind her. “Is not this simpler?” Oh God, was he really going to say it? “Is this not your natural state?” Kate swallowed, squeezing her thighs together as he continued one of her favorite quotes of his. “It’s the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave… subjugation.” The last word was spoken in her ear, his velvety voice made her involuntarily moan aloud. 

 

Silently and painfully slowly, Tom moved back around in front of her and smirked as he trailed the back of his fingers down her cheek, tipping her chin back so her eyes met his,

 

“You were  _ made  _ to be ruled.”

 

Kate bit her lip, holding back yet another moan as she met his piercing gaze.

 

“Such pretty sounds coming from those lips.” His hand slid into her hair, his fingers curling into a fist. “I want them wrapped around my cock.  _ Now _ .” He pulled her forward firmly, but Kate was already willing to come forward, so it wasn't enough to hurt much. 

 

Tom didn't have to tell her twice. She immediately reached forward, fingers fumbling to undo his trousers, shakily yanking them down far enough to free him. Her hands gripped his thighs as she looked up at him, licking her lips. Darting her tongue out of her mouth, she ran it along his hardened length, watching in excitement when his eyes fluttered from the contact. She took the tip of his cock into her mouth, circling it with her tongue as she felt the muscles in his thighs tense and he let out a barely audible moan.

 

She rubbed her hands along the bunched up leather around his legs, moaning as she took him further in. Slowly at first, she bobbed along his shaft and Tom let out a low moan, guiding her gently with his grip still on her hair. “Yes, that's it. Take it all in.” When the tip touched the back of her throat, Kate relaxed her mouth so she would gag and Tom's eyes closed as he gasped. “Oh  _ yes _ , good girl!”

 

He began to thrust his hips in tune with her mouth, working her mouth a little quicker. A string of moans flew out of his mouth. Kate felt his thighs tense after a few more thrusts and his slowed his hips, “You want to please me… don't you, Kate?” He was panting as he met her gaze, watching her try to nod, her muffled answer vibrating his cock. “Make me cum.” He commanded, letting her take over again.

 

She wrapped her hand around the base, stroking as she sucked on him. “Ah, I'm going to…” Tom gasped, slamming his eyes shut as he began to spill inside of her mouth with a grunt.

 

When Kate pulled off of him, Tom stared down at her with a grin, curling his fingers under her chin and guiding her to stand. “You are a marvelous creature, aren't you darling? Yes, you're a wonderfully pleasant thing.”

 

Tom began to back her up against the wall, Kate nearly stumbling backwards with her mind in a fog. She was so turned on by this, she was surprised her legs could actually function properly. 

 

He turned her around so she was facing the wall and pushed her up against it, “Hands on the wall.” With that simple, yet seductive command, she did what she was told pressing her palms flat against the wall. Tom leaned forward, attaching his lips to her neck and she felt his long hair brush against her skin. Kate tilted her head so he could have better access to her neck.

 

His hands ran along her body, coming up her back and unclasping her bra and yanking it off of her so he could cup her breasts. After toying with her nipples and drawing out gasps and moans from Kate, he trailed his kisses down her back and slid her panties down her legs with his teeth, letting her feel the leather suit drag down her body.

 

Her legs felt like jelly as he came back up and began dropping kisses along her shoulder, sliding his hands around her waist and dipping down between her legs. “Oh, you needy girl, you're absolutely  _ dripping _ for me.” She let out a shuddered breath as his smooth, melodic voice echoed into her ears, his fingers slipping inside her. Slowly, teasingly, he pumped his fingers in and out while his others found her clit. 

 

Kate felt him hardening again from behind her and she desperately needed to feel him inside her. “Loki, please…” She gasped, her eyes slipping shut as he began to move quicker.

 

Tom chuckled darkly, as Loki would, so amused and  _ so _ incredibly hot. “ _ Oh _ , I think I like hearing you beg, pet. Will you do it again?”

 

As his hand left her clit to tease her nipple once more and she whimpered, “P-Please…”

 

When he withdrew from her, he brought his fingers up and pushed them past her parted lips and she sucked on them. Tom let out a hum of approval and leaned in close with a rough whisper, “You like that? Hm? You want me to fuck that tight little quim?”

 

“Yes!”

 

With a bruising grip to her hips, Tom bent her at the waist slightly and pushed into her, letting out an inaudible moan. He gave her almost no time to adjust, snapping his hips in a quick pace.

 

Kate felt leather everywhere; her back, her stomach and her chest when he reached up to squeeze her breasts, and especially against the backs of her thighs with each thrust and she was loving every minute of it. 

 

She was getting closer and closer with every second that ticked by and Tom's breath was coming out more ragged. He turned her around and drew her leg up, his gaze piercing as he eased himself back inside her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, curling her fingers around the collar of his shirt.

 

Tom settled back into a similar rhythm, sweat dripping from his forehead and breath coming out in pants. “Cum for me, Kate.” His breathless command pushed her as far as she needed to be and she let out a moan, her walls squeezing around him. 

 

It was then, as he was watching the pure ecstasy on her face that he let himself go. He slowed his hips, pausing as he emptied himself inside of her. 

 

Kate rested her head back against the wall, chest heaving as Tom smiled wickedly. “I hope you're not too tired, darling, I've got more plans for you.”

 

 

* * *

 

Kate awoke first the next morning. She was lying on her back, Tom's arm draped over her stomach. She turned her head to gaze at him, studying his peaceful sleeping face as a smile crept on to her own.

 

Still feeling incredibly tired from their long night, she let her eyes flutter back closed and she fell back asleep for a while longer. When she opened her eyes again, Tom was gone, but she could smell something absolutely amazing.

 

She got up and slipped on her silky robe, tying it closed and wandering out of the room in search for the scent that was making her mouth water. When she reached the main room of their suite, she saw Tom taking food containers out of a plastic bag. He looked up and smiled at her when he noticed her approaching, “Morning, darling! I went and picked up some breakfast!” Kate slid her arms around his waist and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I know this diner just down the street that serves fantastic food. Their pancakes are some of the best I've ever had.”

 

Kate reached for a container and opened it, humming in approval. “I smelled it from inside the bedroom, it looks great.” She gave his waist a light squeeze and took her container and some plastic ware from the bag and Tom followed suit, following her and sitting across from her at the table tucked off to the side of the room. “Thanks for last night, by the way. That was… incredible.” Kate sighed, recalling their amazing adventure from the night before.

 

“I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.” Tom took a bite of his food and winked at her. Kate smiled down at her food as she cut a piece of pancake and ate it. “So, what would you prefer to do today, love?”

 

She thought about it for a moment. “Gosh, there's so many things to do, it's hard to choose what to do first. I was thinking maybe we could go to that New York City museum? The one by Vanderbilt Gate.”

 

Tom reached for his mobile and searched for the museum and smiled, “Then that's what we'll do.”

 

After breakfast, they lounged around a bit more per Kate's request, she wanted him to rest a bit more from his busy weekend and she didn't mind cuddling up to him a bit longer in bed. Then they showered and got dressed before heading out when the taxi Tom called for had arrived outside of the hotel.

 

Kate was in absolute awe when they arrive inside the museum. She was like a kid at a candy store when they began to look at all the exhibits. Tom threaded his fingers through hers as they walked around, enjoying the little gasps and excited tugs of his hand when she wanted to bring his attention toward something. She was absolutely adorable.

 

Tom had been there before, years ago, but somehow it was like this was his first time. He had someone he could enjoy it with and he found himself learning some new things, little fun facts that he hadn't paid much mind to until Kate's excitement pointed them out.

 

At one point, Tom was studying an exhibit and Kate had finished, spotting a stairway that curved, there was pictures and words on the wall. He felt her hand slip out of his as she wandered away. He was almost finished reading the information and took one more look before turning to follow her. As he approached the stairs, his eyes widened as he watched Kate lose her footing, not paying attention to what she was doing as she looked up at the wall. A gasp escaped her lips and being that she had no hand on the railing, she had nothing to stop her from falling.

 

“KATE!” He shouted and surged forward, rushing up a couple of steps and just barely catching her as she tumbled backward. “Jesus, Kate.” He breathed, his chest heaving from the fear of seeing her fall. Tom sighed in relief and pressed his forehead against the back of her head. “You need to be careful. What would I do if something happened to you?” 

 

“S-Sorry.” Her face was flushed and she placed her hand over her heart. Kate was mortified, she wanted the ground to swallow her up. She must have looked so silly and clumsy to him, not to mention all the other people around them.

 

Tom helped her straighten out and grasped her hand in his. “C'mon, let's move on.” He gave it a reassuring squeeze, sensing her embarrassment. Kate nodded and followed him up the stairs, refusing to look behind her in case anyone was staring.

 

The incident was soon forgotten as they discovered new exhibits throughout the rest of the museum. When they had gotten through the whole place, they decided to grab some lunch at a nearby bar after they agreed that they were both craving cheeseburgers and fries.

 

Afterwards, they decided to take a walk through Vanderbilt Gate and walk through the Conservatory Garden. Being that it was Winter, there weren't any flowers to look at, but the fountains were pretty, and Kate got a good view of the buildings surrounding them as they strolled along the walkway. Tom had his arm draped around her shoulder and she burrowed into his side for warmth. “Guess this isn't the best day to take a walk, huh?” Kate peered up at him as her teeth chattered. 

 

Tom frowned, but nodded in agreement. “Yeah, you're right. I think I saw that it was supposed to warm up a little tomorrow. Why don't I get us some of those hand and feet warmers and we'll come back tomorrow?” 

 

She smiled as she thought about it. “Yes, I think that sounds lovely. The park is so big, I'd like to come back and see more of it with you.”

 

Tom leaned down to kiss her cheek and pulled out his phone from his pocket. As they walked toward a bench, he called for a taxi. They huddled up on the bench together, Tom wrapping both arms around Kate as he held her close. “What would you like to do now, love?”

 

She thought about it for a moment and shifted slightly to look at him, “Maybe we could go and see a movie at one of the theatres around here?”

 

“Yeah, once we get out of the cold and into the taxi, I'll look and see what movies are playing. My fingers are too cold to take these gloves off.”

 

Kate laughed, “Same.” She grinned suddenly, having Tom curious. “You know… my lips are pretty cold, too.”

 

A smirk formed on his face as he leaned in closer to her, “They are? Should I help you warm them, then?” His lips pressed against hers gently and she sighed happily, gripping the collar of his coat to bring him closer. She deepened the kiss, slipping her tongue into his mouth to further seek out his warmth.

 

Tom let out a satisfied hum and snaked his arms further around her. “You naughty little minx.” He mumbled after a while. “You're warmer than I am.” He nipped at her bottom lip and grinned as he pulled back to look into her eyes.

 

Kate giggled sheepishly, “Looks like I'm caught… Oh well.” She sighed, bringing him back in for another kiss.

 

He groaned. “If you don't stop this, we'll never make it through the movie. They'll have us thrown out of the theatre.”

 

She laughed, reluctantly pulling away. “You have no self control.”

 

Tom raised his eyebrows and he chuckled, “Only when it comes to you. And as I recall, you don't either.”

 

Kate bit her lip as she recalled Tom standing in their hotel room as Loki and she had practically melted onto the floor where she stood.

 

“Do you, Kate?” His Loki voice flooded into her ear when he leaned in close.

 

“Oh no, don't you start that again!” She shuffled away from him and glared playfully. “You are the devil!”

 

He scooted over, closing the distance she put between them and placed his arm on the back of the bench and his hand on the armrest to trap her. “Well, if I'm the devil then you're a witch.” He grinned and Kate gasped, hitting him lightly on the chest when she realized his Henry V reference. “No Tom, don't start that either!” 

 

Tom pretended to think, rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger. “Hmmm, if only I could be silenced in some way.”

 

Kate pursed her lips and snaked her arms around his neck, pulling him back in for a kiss. Tom chuckled into the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist. He broke away after a few moments, grinning. “See? No self control.”

 

She laughed and shook her head as he checked the time on his phone. “We should start heading over to the gate, the taxi will be here any minute. Think you can hold yourself back in the backseat?” He teased, standing up and holding his hand out.

 

She took his hand and hoisted herself up. “Only if you can.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The next day was spent celebrating Tom's birthday. He'd woken up with Kate straddling him and very enthusiastically wishing him a happy birthday. She'd taken care of their plans for the day, taking the promised stroll through the rest of the park they'd been to the day before. Kate worried that it was too simple for their afternoon, but Tom assured her that just spending time with him was enough for him. 

 

Kate insisted they take a nap so that she could sneak out of the room to get his birthday cake, which she'd ordered over the weekend at a nearby bakery with wonderful reviews. She spent a little more on it than she probably should have, but he enjoyed it so it was definitely worth it.

 

The rest of the week was like a dream to Kate. They went and saw a lot of the landmarks and they went to another museum and took a tour. They didn't get through to do all of the things she'd marked off in her book that she wanted to do, but they'd gotten through most of it. 

 

Sunday was Valentine's Day and just two days before they left, so Tom decided to take her out to a nice place to celebrate.

 

Oh. My. God.” Kate stuttered, almost speechless as she stopped dead and took in her surroundings. The restaurant was situated under the Brooklyn Bridge with what Kate imagined would be the most incredible views of the Manhattan skyline. She turned to Tom who was a couple of paces behind her,   
  


“Look at that view!”   
  


Without taking his eyes off her he smiled and nodded, “Breathtaking, isn’t it?” He drew level with her and slid his hands around her waist, looking down at her, “Although this view is pretty incredible as well.”   
  


Kate giggled and slapped his arm playfully, “Smooth!”   
  


Releasing her, Tom laughed and took hold of her hand, pulling her forwards, “Come on, I’m starving!”

  
They entered the restaurant and were immediately met by a host who escorted them to their table by the window, leaving them with some menus to study while she fetched their drinks, Tom having ordered them a bottle of champagne. After a few minutes of reading his menu Tom looked up, about to ask Kate what she was going to have, only to find her staring out the window again with her phone in her hand as she tried to take a picture through the glass. He chuckled as he watched her. “Darling, you must have about a hundred photos of the New York skyline by now.”   
  


Kate glanced across at him before turning her attention back to her phone, “Yes, but not from this angle!”

  
Tom reached across the table and placed his hand on her wrist, causing her to look back at him again, “Kate, sweetheart, you can take photos later. Please, just have a look at the menu and decide what you’d like to have to eat.”

  
Kate smiled at him apologetically and dropped her phone back into her bag before picking up the menu, “Sorry. It’s just so amazing here.”   
  


“I know. And I know we haven’t had a chance to see everything on this trip, but I’ll bring you back again one day, I promise. Okay?”   
  


The waiter returned with their champagne and two glasses, popping the cork and pouring them each a glass. He quickly took their orders and disappeared again, as Tom held his glass out towards Kate “Happy Valentine’s Day, beautiful.”   
  


Kate tapped her glass against his as she smiled widely at him and took a sip, “This place is amazing, Tom… thank you. The food sounds amazing too, and did you see the dessert options? I’m gonna eat so much.”   
  


They carried on chatting happily until their food arrived a few minutes later. They had barely taken their first mouthful of food when Tom’s phone started to ring in his pocket. Pulling it out and glancing at it, Tom suddenly pushed his chair back, “Sorry darling, I have to take this. I’ll be one minute”   
  


Kate watched as he dashed out the restaurant, lifting the phone to his ear. She continued eating, turning her attention out the window as she admired the view again. It had been such a perfect few days, she didn’t want it to end. Finally having Tom all to herself for a while with no interruptions and no one else around, no Charlotte more specifically, had been amazing.   
  


Kate was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn’t notice Tom coming back into the restaurant, and she jumped as he practically threw himself back down into his chair, smiling at her enthusiastically.   
  


“Alright?” She asked, watching him curiously as he fidgeted excitedly on his chair. 

 

“I got that part! You know, the film… I got it!”   
  


“Oh my God! Tom, that’s great!” Kate beamed at him, setting her knife and fork down so she could take his hands across the table, “I’m so proud of you!”   
  


Tom held her hands tightly as he grinned at her, “ _ And _ Charlotte got the other lead part too! How great is that?!”   
  


Kate felt like all the air was being squeezed out her body as she deflated like a balloon. She forced herself to keep smiling as she released Tom’s hand and picked up her knife and fork, slicing her food aggressively, “That’s… great. Really good news.”   
  


_ Fucking _ Charlotte. She could feel Tom watching her but she couldn’t look at him, because if she did she might actually cry. So instead she reached for her champagne and downed the contents of the glass, setting it back on the table and continuing to stare harder than necessary at her food.   
  


“Kate, what’s wrong?”   
  


Forcing herself to look up, Kate met his gaze and tried to smile, “Nothing! I’m just hungry.” She gestured towards his plate, “You should eat your food, it’s getting cold.”   
  


Tom watched her wordlessly for a couple more moments before picking up his fork. They ate in silence for what seemed like forever, and Kate knew Tom had sensed the change in her mood. Perhaps more alcohol would help. She reached across the table, refilling her glass and immediately taking a couple of large mouthfuls as again Tom watched her. He set his cutlery down and leant back in his chair,   
  


“Kate… look at me.”   
  


Slowly she lifted her head and looked across the table at Tom who had his arms folded across his chest as he frowned at her,   
  


“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong? Please don’t say nothing again. You were fine until I told you about the film… is that what this is about?”   
  


Kate shook her head vigorously, “I’m fine, honestly.”   
  


“You're not fine, I can see it written all over your face.” He sighed, “Please tell me what's bothering you. Is it because I'll get busy again? You know I can't help that--”   
  


She frowned, “No, that's not it. Sure, I wish we could spend some normal amount of time together, but that I can deal with.”   
  


“Then what is it?” Tom was beginning to get frustrated. He didn't want to get angry with Kate, but he wanted to find out what was bothering her so they could move past it and eat. He was so  _ hungry _ .   
  


She knew had to tell him, he wouldn't let it go unless she did. Maybe he would understand… Maybe she could tell him the way Charlotte had been with her, and he would get exactly why she was being like this. She took another gulp of champagne and sighed, “I’m not really a big fan of Charlotte…”   
  


He raised his brows, “Why not?” He'd been down this path before, having a girlfriend jealous of every costar he had and giving him tremendous amounts of grief over it, as if he could control it. He didn't suspect Kate to really fuss over something like that and he tried to ignore the disappointment brewing inside of him.   
  


“There's just something about her, Tom. It's her attitude and how she treats others… She's not very nice to me.”   
  


“Lottie is one of my oldest friends, Kate, she's never been like that… You must be mistaken. Sure, she can be a bit bold, but she's lovely. You just don't know her like I do.”   
  


As soon as the nickname flew out of his mouth, Kate wanted to cringe. God, she hated that name. Was he really that blind to how Charlotte really was? Or was she just that good of an actress to be able to fool Tom? Either way, she didn't like it.   
  


“You would say that.” Kate snapped, the words out of her mouth before she could stop herself. With cheeks stinging of embarrassment and anger, she glanced at Tom who was was scowling back at her.   
  


“What's that supposed to mean?”   
  


Kate sighed, deciding she didn't care to hear him defend Charlotte. She wanted to stop talking about her and be done with it. “You know what? Nevermind. Just forget it.” She wiped her mouth with her napkin, dropping it onto the plate before she stood up.   
  


“What?” Tom glanced at her half eaten food and back up to her face, “Where are you going? What about your dinner?”   
  


“I've lost my appetite.” She took her coat from the back of the chair and tugged it on. “I'm going to get some air.” Before he could say anything else, she turned around and walked off.   
  


“Kate!” Tom called after her, confused as to what had just happened. He asked for the waiter to box up their food and took it to go, settling the bill afterwards. He rushed outside, his heart hammering when he didn't see Kate standing outside of the door.   
  


He looked both ways, wondering which direction she went in. Or had she taken a cab home? He decided to walk a short ways, taking the sidewalk to his right, sighing with relief as he spotted her walking. Tom picked up his pace, catching up to her and grabbed her arm gently, “Kate!”   
  


Kate quickly wiped her tears and turned to look at him, “What?”   
  


He frowned, “Why did you take off like that? You shouldn't wander off on your own Kate, it's dangerous in a city like this!” His anger took over from his fear of something happening to her and the fact that she walked out on him. He couldn't understand why she was suddenly acting this way. Tom let out a frustrated sigh and pulled out his phone, calling for the taxi.   
  


They went to go and wait for it on a nearby bench. Not talking at all, they waited in silence for it to pull up by the curb. “Let's go.” He mumbled, a slight edge to his voice as he stood up, Kate following him.   
  


Tom opened the door of the cab for her and she climbed in quickly, watching as he climbed in next to her but instead of shuffling up to her, he stayed seated right by the door and didn’t reach for her hand like usual, instead keeping his hands firmly clasped in his lap as he turned his head away from her and stared out the window. Kate watched him, tears still stinging her eyes. She wanted to say something, break the tension that had settled between them, but she didn’t know what. She knew he was angry but he was so defensive of Charlotte, it made her blood boil. Why couldn’t he see it from her point of view?   
  


They arrived back at the hotel and took the lift up to their room, again without exchanging a word. As they entered the room, Kate dropped herself down onto the bed and pulled her legs up to her chest, hugging them as she rested her chin on her knees and watched Tom empty his pockets, dropping his phone and wallet on the table before shaking his jacket off and throwing it over the back of the chair. He unbuttoned his shirt halfway down his chest and turned to look at her, shoving his hands in his pockets. He didn’t seem angry anymore, just a little sad and disappointed. 

 

Breaking eye contact with Kate, he blew out a breath and glanced around the room, “I don’t want to fight with you. Not now, on Valentine’s Day, not ever.”   
  


He walked towards the bed and sat down in front of her, reaching out and brushing her hair off her face, tucking it behind her ear,   
  


“I’m sorry.”   
  


“I’m sorry, too.” Kate whispered.   
  


“I can’t make you like her, but just go easy on Lottie, please. For me? She’s having a hard time at the moment.”   
  


Kate looked at him, willing him to go on. How could someone like Charlotte be having a hard time? She had the kind of life most people dreamt of. 

 

Tom ran his hands through his hair and drew in a breath, “There’s this guy, he’s like a massive fan of her. But he’s taken it to a whole new level. He’s stalking her Kate, he follows her, sends letters and flowers to her house… She’s really freaked out.”

 

“H-has she called the police?” Kate asked.

 

Tom nodded, “They’re aware of him but they haven’t got enough evidence to charge him yet. But look, darling, just… go easy on her, okay?”

 

He reached for her hands and lifted them to his mouth, brushing his lips over them, “If you can’t do it for her, do it for me.”

 

Kate gave him a small smile and nodded, “Okay. I’ll do it for you.”

 

She stroked his cheek with her hand and he turned into her, kissing the palm of her hand, “Can you do one more thing for me?” He whispered.

 

Goosebumps rising up her arm from his touch, she shivered with pleasure, “What?”

 

He looked up at her with that cheeky smile that she couldn’t resist, “Take your clothes off and let me show you how sorry I  _ really  _ am.”

 


	12. Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!!! Crimson_Peak and I finally got our shit together and finished Chapter 12! It’s longer than normal, so hopefully it at least makes up for it being so late, at least a little! I can’t give you guys a date when the next one will be up, but I promise you we will be working on it asap! Thanks everyone who stuck around and waited patiently! We hope you enjoy!

He what?!” Roxy nearly choked on her drink as she sat with Kate on their morning break once she'd gotten back from her vacation with Tom. She set the bottle down with wide eyes, wiping her chin with a napkin. “You're kidding!”

Kate grinned, blushing profusely. “I'm absolutely serious.”

“Well, I'm definitely going to need details.”

“ _Well, you're definitely_  not getting them. That's as much as I'll tell you.”

“You are no fun!” She pouted. “At least tell me, did he say  _the line_?”

“What line?”

“You know!” Roxy attempted to deepen her voice, “You crave subjugation!” It almost sounded robotic though and Kate clutched her sides as she laughed.

“You have a terrible Loki impression!”

She stuck out her tongue at Kate, “As if you could do any better! So did he say it?”

“Maybe.” She smiled down at her cup of coffee, running her thumb along the rim of the lid.

“I swear, some girls have all the luck.” Roxy sighed. “I'm telling you, hold on to him, Kate, because what's-her-name definitely has her eye on him, from what you've told me, and that man is a catch.”

She sighed, shaking her head. “God, I don't even want to think about her right now.”

When Roxy noticed her change in her demeanor, she cocked her head in concern, “Did something happen?”

“Tom and I… We had a small spat because of her and…”

“You did? Did she do something?”

She dropped her forehead onto her hand, propped up by her elbow on the table. “She's going to be a costar in a new movie Tom got a role in. And it's a romantic one.”

“ _Oh…_ ”

Kate looked at her with pursed lips, “Yeah,  _oh._ I just want to be done with her already.”

“Did you tell him how you feel about her?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“ _And?_ ” Roxy prompted, her eyebrows raised as she looked at her expectantly.

“And he asked me to give her a chance. Gave me some excuse about her going through a rough time with a stalker? I'm not one hundred percent sure I buy it, but even so, it doesn't give her the right to treat me the way she does.” Kate sighed, shaking her head. “Anyway, it's not like he can just tell them he's not filming the movie. He's worked so hard for it and I can't ask him to throw it away just because I don't get along with her.”

Roxy frowned, “Well, that's true, but… look, just promise me you won't let her push you round for Charlotte's sake, alright?”

“Yeah…” Kate agreed and took a sip of her coffee. “So what's new with you? How's Greg?”

“Yeah… about that…”

Kate didn't have a very good feeling about her tone, which was hesitant. “Is he alright??”

“Oh, yes, he's fine! No, um, we kind of broke up.” She shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

“Broke up?? Why? What happened?”

Roxy screwed her nose up and took a moment to think before she answered “We just kinda grew apart I guess? I was bored, he was bored… It just wasn’t going anywhere anymore."

“Oh Roxy, I’m so sorry.”

Roxy shrugged again, “I’m okay, honestly. I mean we can’t all have a boyfriend as perfect as yours."

“Tom isn’t perfect, Rox. No one is! Everyone has faults, you just have to love the bad bits as well as the good.”

Kate took the final sip of her coffee and glanced back at Roxy who was watching her with a smug grin.

“What?” She asked.

“You love Tom."

“I didn’t say that!” Kate squealed.

“You do though, don’t you?”

Kate could feel her cheeks flushing as she looked back at Roxy, biting her lip as she smiled. “Yeah, I think I do.”

Roxy frowned and crossed her arms as she leant back in her chair, “I feel like there’s a ‘but’ coming?”

Kate shrugged, “I really have fallen for him Roxy. But it’s all happened so  _fast_ , I don’t wanna freak him out. And then there’s this whole Charlotte thing.” She waved her arms in frustration and sighed. She’d known for a while she was falling in love with Tom, but since their trip to New York, she’d known for certain that she was in love with him. But they’d only been together four months and part of her was worried that it was too soon. She also needed to see how things progressed with Charlotte, and whether the two of them really could get on. She just wanted things to settle down a bit more before she even considered telling him how she felt. Her thoughts were interrupted by Roxy speaking again,

“Hey, Tom's doing that radio interview in a little bit, isn’t he?”

“With Charlotte.” Kate added, pulling a face.

“We can listen to it in the office as long as we keep it quiet."

Smiling, Kate nodded, “Yeah, okay."

 

* * *

 

 

Tom really didn't want to do this BBC interview with Charlotte the morning after him and Kate got back from New York. He was a bit jet lagged and by the time he got back to his house, it was late and he was absolutely exhausted from traveling.

Charlotte arrived with her driver early in the morning so that they could drive together and beat traffic. She didn't live far, so she offered to come and get him, suggesting it would look better to arrive together. Her suggestion came just after Tom had gotten home, so he just agreed and decided not to fuss about it, he knew she'd just keep insisting and he didn't have the energy for it.

As per usual, fans were waiting on the other side of the barricade when they pulled up, calling their names as they stepped out of the car. Tom wasn't up for signing anything or taking pictures, so he just waved and gave a smile toward a few select people and headed inside with Charlotte.

They were immediately greeted by a member of the staff and escorted to the recording room. When he entered the room, Tom shook hands with Blake, the radio host he'd worked with many times before and introduced Charlotte before they got on with the show after chatting for a bit.

“I have Tom Hiddleston and Charlotte Harper here with me today! They've just finished their play, Unresolved, and from what I've heard, It's been a huge success! We're going to discuss their thoughts now that it has been wrapped up and what their plans are going forward!” Blake grinned at Tom, nodding toward him.

“It's great to have you back, Tom!”

Tom chuckled, “It's great to be back here, Blake. How have you been?”

“Well, I've been fantastic! I would ask how you've been, but I see you're doing quite well!”

Tom smiled, thinking about how well everything went with the play, and most importantly with Kate, though that wasn't the topic at hand. “Yes, everything has been great. Charlotte and I have immensely enjoyed performing over the past couple of months and the fans have been spectacular, but we're quite relieved it has finished.”

“Yes, I can imagine It's kept you very busy.”

“It has! Five nights a week, with two matinees, it's hard to have time for much else. During theatre performances, I tend to primarily focus on them and keep everything else on hold, aside from important engagements on the weekend break.”

Blake went on asking more questions about the play, switching to talk with Charlotte as well. On the times Blake was speaking with his costar, Tom allowed himself to think again about Kate. He never spaced out during an interview, so why was he starting now? He just couldn't help himself.

“Do either of you have anyone special in your lives?”

Tom looked up at Blake's question and glanced over at Charlotte. Kate immediately came to mind, but he was torn. He didn't want to expose her to the media more than she already had been. They would never leave her alone if they knew she was his girlfriend and she didn't deserve it. Kate was too sweet for that.

His stomach swirled with something foreign to him as he thought about his lover. It happened quite a lot since he'd met her and he was pretty sure he knew what it was. He wrestled with it before, but he was done fighting it. Tom found himself wanting to be with her all the time, but did Kate feel the same?

“Isn't that right, Tom?”

Tom blinked and nodded, trying to act as if he'd been paying attention, “Yes, that's quite right, Lottie.” He hoped he hadn't just agreed to sign his life away, he hadn't heard a thing they'd just said.

“Lottie? I see he's even got a nickname for you! How sweet.”

Charlotte winked at Tom before smiling at Blake.

 

* * *

 

 

Roxy huddled in Kate's cube so they could listen to Tom's interview with the volume low. She glanced up to make sure none of their bosses were walking about, and sure enough, they were heading into a meeting. “Perfect timing.” She whispered to Kate, who giggled and switched on the radio, keeping it at just the right volume to hear them.

Kate smiled the moment she heard Tom's velvety voice come through the speakers. She leaned in forward in her chair with a dreamy sigh, resting her elbows on the desk so she could listen a bit closer.

She was enjoying the conversation between him and Blake until Charlotte came on. Kate exchanged an eye roll with Roxy as she droned on about her experience with the play and her fans. “They've been so lovely, Blake! You get out there and they're so excited and enthusiastic! You really feel their appreciation. Tom and I love going out to greet the fans.”

Kate scoffed, “She's so full of it! If only they knew how she really was, they wouldn't be fawning all over her, would they?”

Roxy shook her head and held her finger up to her lips when Kate forgot to whisper.

She sent her an apologetic look and tried to focus back on the conversation, which seemed to have turned a little personal. Blake asked if either of them had anyone special in their lives. Kate's heart sped up as she thought about Tom and wondered what his response would be. She knew his stance on letting the media know details about his personal life, but she couldn't help but wish he would speak about her, it was her pride taking over. However, there was a pause and Charlotte suddenly spoke,

“Tom's the only special guy in my life right now.”

“Oh, is that right?” Blake sounded amused.

“Having done the play for the past three months as much as we did, we spent quite a lot of time together, there really wasn't room for much else! And it's no secret that our characters were lovers, so it sort of felt like we were during that time, I suppose.” Charlotte's laugh made Kate cringe and she frowned, clenching her fists on the desk. “Isn't that right, Tom?”

_Please don't agree. Please don't--_

“Yes, that's quite right, Lottie.” He let out an awkward laugh and Kate's heart clenched. Had he really just gone along with it? She sighed angrily and pushed her chair away from the desk, standing up abruptly.

“I don't really wish to hear any more of it.”

“Aw, Kate, I'm sure it meant nothing! He-He had to go along with it, it had to have been for the publicity!”

Kate swallowed and turned around, “Maybe so, but that doesn't hurt any less. Why can't he just--” Kate took a deep breath, willing herself not to cry from frustration. “I  _know_  he's just trying to protect me, but it doesn't mean he has to make the whole world think that he's having a thing with his costar! Do you have any idea how insignificant the whole thing makes me feel?”

“I'm sorry, Kate. I know I don't understand exactly how you feel, but maybe this is something you are going to have to think about. You'll have to ask yourself, is he worth all of this in the end?”

Kate opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out. She desperately wanted to say yes, because she loved him. But she had to respect herself, too. Did he care for her enough for her to put up with this? The busy schedule, the sneaking around,  _Charlotte?_

“This is so confusing, Roxy. We just had the most lovely time in New York and he made me feel so… special. He's always taking care of me and making sure I'm content before thinking of himself and it makes me feel awful to even be thinking these things!”

“I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable, Kate. Don't put yourself through all of this just because you love him and because he does things for you. It doesn't make you ungrateful. I just want you to do what's best for yourself.”

Kate nodded and her heart began to feel heavy and she left the room, taking a longer lunch break by herself. She tucked herself in a corner in the back of Pizza Express and let her tears roll freely. When she couldn't take the internal battle in her head any longer, she did what came most natural to her, she rang her best friend. As soon as Zack picked up the phone and heard how upset she was, he told her to stay where she was and he’d be there in ten minutes. True to his word, just a few minutes later Zack was hurrying across the restaurant towards her. Kate stumbled out of her seat and threw herself into his arms.

“I was expecting you to come back from New York smiling, not crying." He mumbled as he guided Kate back into her seat and sat down next to her, resting his hand reassuringly on her shoulder as she started to tell him everything that had happened. He listened intently and when Kate had finished he paused for a minute to think before he spoke,

“Well it all seems pretty simple to me…”

Kate frowned at him as he continued, “You love him, right?”

“So much. I love him  _so_  much."

“Then bloody fight for him!” Zack replied, squeezing her shoulder, “If you really love him, why are you letting Charlotte do this to you? Why are you letting her win? You get out there and you fight for him, Kate! You show Charlotte that he’s yours and you’re not taking any more of her bullshit."

 

* * *

 

 

Kate finished tying her shoelaces and closed her eyes, slumping back in the sofa and taking a deep breath as Zack's words repeated themselves in her head.

_Don’t let her win._

Today she had to try and do just that. In an attempt to encourage her and Charlotte to get on, Tom had suggested the three of them all take Bobby out for a walk. Reluctantly Kate had agreed, still feeling a little unsettled by their radio interview but knowing that what Zack had said to her was right - she was going to have to fight for Tom. Besides, she’d also promised Tom that she’d give Charlotte a chance, but she still felt sick with anxiety about it all. She had a feeling that it wasn’t going to be quite as simple as Zack seemed to think. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to stand and put one foot in front of the other, grabbing her keys as she headed for the door.

Kate chose to walk to Tom’s rather than get the tube, using the time to try and calm herself down. When she arrived, Charlotte was already there of course, curled up on the sofa, smiling smugly at Kate. She got to her feet as Kate entered the room,

“Kate! It’s so nice to see you again!”

“Hi Charlotte.” Kate mumbled as Charlotte gripped her arms and kissed the air next to her cheek. She glanced at Tom who gave her a smile and a wink of encouragement as he stood there with Bobby's lead in his hand.

“Are we all ready to go?” He asked.

“Let me just grab my shoes.” Charlotte replied, disappearing into the hallway. 

Tom stepped forwards and slid his arms around Kate’s waist, kissing her quickly, "See? She’s happy to see you again."

Kate smiled up at him and nodded. She wanted to believe him but her previous experience of Charlotte was still making her think it was all a show in front of Tom. At that moment, Charlotte walked back in carrying a pair of high heeled boots and perched back on the sofa to put them on. Kate watched her, taking in her outfit - a low cut v-neck vest top and skin tight jeans. They were taking the dog for a walk for God’s sake, why was she dressed so immaculately? Kate looked down at her own outfit of a trainers, jeans and a plain t-shirt and wished she’d chosen something a bit more dressy.

Once they were all set, they headed out and along to Primrose Hill with Charlotte doing most of the talking and unmistakably her conversation was aimed at Tom, not Kate. Trying not to let it bother her, Kate focused on Tom’s hand, which was holding hers tightly. That was until his phone started to ring in his pocket and he shot both women an apologizing look,

“I need to take this… I’ll catch up." He explained, passing Bobby's lead to Kate and stepping to one side as Charlotte moved alongside her and they continued to walk. Taking a deep breath, Kate decided it was now or never,

“So what have you been up to since Unresolved finished?”

“Well I’ve just been preparing for my new movie really.” Charlotte replied, “Tom did tell you we’ve been cast together, right?”

Trying not to wince at the reminder, Kate plastered a fake smile on her face, “Yes, he did.”

Charlotte nodded, “Lucky me, hey? I think I spend more time with your boyfriend than you do." She looked at Kate and laughed smugly.

_Don’t bite. Don’t let her win._

Kate chuckled as her mind tried to think of a suitable comeback but before she could say anything, Charlotte continued, “I’m surprised you two are still together actually…”

Kate snapped her head around and stared at her, “Really? Why?”

Charlotte looked away disinterestedly as she replied, “Well like I said to you, you’re not exactly his usual type. I thought he would have got bored with you by now and found someone more to his taste.”

Seeing red, Kate stopped dead, “Someone like  _you_ , you mean?" She snapped, the words coming out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

Charlotte finally looked back at her and laughed again. That stuck up, egotistical, fake laugh made Kate want to swing for her.

“If the shoe fits, honey." She replied, shrugging before she started to walk again. Kate stood rooted to the spot staring after her, unable to believe how brazen and cocky that woman was. She started to walk after her, ready to tell her in no uncertain terms what she thought of her, when Tom suddenly jogged up beside her,

“Sorry about that darling.” He puffed, draping his arm around her shoulder, “Hey, Lottie! Wait up!”

Charlotte stopped and looked around at them, and the sickly sweet fake smile was back. At that point Kate realized she was gritting her teeth she was so angry. As they caught up with her, Charlotte positioned herself on the other side of Tom, linking her arm through his and shooting another smug glance at Kate.

Completely oblivious to what had just happened, Tom chatted away happily and Kate tried to join in but her mind was racing as she went over and over her exchange with Charlotte. She couldn’t believe that she’d pretty much just admitted to Kate that she thought she was better suited to him than she was. But how on earth could she tell Tom? He was so protective of Charlotte that Kate knew he’d just tell her she’d gotten the wrong end of the stick and Charlotte was just messing around. God, why couldn’t he see what that woman was really like? Kate had promised Tom she’d give Charlotte a chance, but how could she do that now, after today? The more she thought about what Charlotte has said, the more she could feel a sense of panic rising. What if Tom did get bored of her? After all, Charlotte was right about one thing - she was boring compared to Tom. He was used to beautiful Hollywood A List celebrity women, yet here he was with a distinctly average museum coordinator who lived in a small one bedroom flat in Camden. How was she really ever going to be enough for him?

An uncomfortable silence fell over the three of them as they walked back to Tom’s house, and Kate prayed that Charlotte would leave straight away. But of course, she stepped out of her stupid heels which probably cost more than the combined total of items in Kate’s whole wardrobe, and settled herself back into the sofa, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her chin on them as she fixed her gaze on Kate again,

“I guess it’s going to be pretty tough for you when Tom’s away filming for months. Don’t worry, I’ll look after him for you.” She winked at Kate and flicked her hair over her shoulder dramatically and Kate had to fight every muscle in her body to stop herself from flying across the room and squeezing her neck until her head popped off her shoulders. Instead, she glared at her, the two of them silently eyeballing each other until Tom appeared with drinks for them all and right on cue Charlotte turned back to the charming woman that seemingly had Tom completely fooled. She watched quietly as Charlotte and Tom chatted about filming and how they were getting on with learning their scripts, and wished she would hurry up and finish her drink and just bloody go home. After what seemed like hours, Charlotte finally looked at her watch,

“Well, I suppose I better get off.”

Making sure Kate was watching, she turned to Tom and placed her hand in his knee, “Would you mind giving me a lift home?”

Kate’s whole body tensed as she watched Tom, waiting for him to answer.

“Sorry Lottie, this is my second glass of wine.” He replied, holding his near empty glass aloft, “I probably shouldn’t drive. I’ll call you a taxi.”

Kate watched as Tom stood up to go get his phone and then finally it was her turn to be able to smile smugly at Charlotte, who avoided eye contact with her, picking irritatedly at one of her fingernails.

“I would offer to share the taxi with you, but I’ll be staying here tonight… obviously.” Kate knew she wouldn't be staying, she had prior engagements later on, but she couldn’t help seizing the opportunity to have a dig back at her, and she knew it was petty but damn did it feel good. After a few seconds, Charlotte lifted her head and looked straight at Kate,

“Well I guess you need to make the most of the time you have with him… while he’s still here.”

Kate tried to keep any expression off her face, but she knew Charlotte could tell she was getting angry again as she added, “Before he goes to America with  _me_.”

With one last smug look, she stood from the sofa and started to walk towards the hall, pausing as she walked past Kate, “It was so nice to see you again."

Kate watched as she strutted across the room towards Tom who had just reappeared, announcing that the taxi was here. He gave Kate a wink before turning to follow Charlotte to the front door. Kate groaned quietly and threw her head against the back of the sofa, staring at the ceiling.

She felt the couch cushion dip next to her a minute later and as she lifted her head, his hand slid across her cheek, turning her face gently to look at him. "Hey." The softness of his touch and his voice made her eyes flutter as he looked at her in concern, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" Kate met his gaze before shifting her eyes to skin over the features of his face; his cheekbones, his nose, his lips… He was so beautiful, so gorgeous compared to her plain Jane looks. She briefly wondered why he was with her, someone who looked so... mediocre. Maybe Charlotte was right… She wanted so badly for her to be wrong, but she couldn't help the thought crossing her mind. God, she truly hated that woman.

"I thought she'd never leave." Suggestion threaded itself in her tone and Tom guided her face toward his, molding their lips together in a soft, warm kiss.

His kisses were always so exceptional. So tender and caring, yet so burning hot. It made her mind melt and struggle to carry on coherent thoughts. Though now… her mind was battling itself with uncertainty and giving in to the sensations of his touch as his lips skimmed across her jawline and down to her neck. His other hand slid up her thigh and squeezed, sending a rush of heat straight to her core.

Kate sucked in a breath and moved when he guided her onto his lap. Tom's lips found hers again once Kate brought them up to hers with his face between her hands. He held her loosely at first, his hands resting on her back, until she deepened the kiss, then they were delving underneath her shirt to raise it up over her head and discarding it somewhere next to them. She felt his fingers tracing her spine until they reached the hook of her bra, unfastening the unwanted piece of clothing and pulling it away from her body.

His mouth broke from hers to dance around the swollen bud of her breast, he was so dangerously close and yet…

"Tom…" She whined impatiently, half gasping when she felt his tongue swirl all the way around it, teasing her further. Her hips rolled against his, seeking the friction she was so desperately desiring.

The corners of Tom's lips tugged up in a smile and he finally let her have what she wanted. His tongue swiped across her nipple before his lips closed around it and he sucked on it gently.

"Bastard." Kate's mumble turned into a moan and she felt his chest rumbling in amusement. She loved this playful side of his and it made her stomach flutter with love and with need.

His arousal pulsed against her and she knew he couldn't feel very comfortable like this, though he didn't show it. Easing her way backwards, she pushed his shirt up and her lips began their descent on his chest, never breaking eye contact.

_I love you._

Is what she wanted to say, but too scared to say it aloud, she tried to convey it with her actions.

_I love you._

Working her way down his stomach, she took her time, making sure to get damn near every inch of his torso covered in her kisses. She would glance up his way often, watching him watch her get closer and closer to the straining bulge between his legs.

_I love you..._

Reaching his navel, Kate knelt on the floor between his legs, her fingers finding his belt.

"Kate…" He choked out as her palm brushed against his erection as she undid his pants. God, he was so hard already…

Kate wasted no time in pumping her hand up and down his length, earning her an inaudible moan from the man now at her mercy. His head tipped back at the contact of her tongue brushing the head of his cock. "Oh Kate…" His head leaned back up so he could watch her with hooded eyes.

His fingers weaved themselves into her hair as she began to take him into her mouth. Little did he know, she planned to take her time, to worship him as if this was their last intimate moment together.

Kate drew it out, savoring the sounds of his moans and cries of pleasure when she teased him and touched just the right places, the feel of his hand stroking her hair, the way he twitched inside of her mouth when he was close before she backed off of him for a short while, until finally she thought he'd had enough.

"Kate…" He warned softly, tugging lightly at her hair. "I'm going to c-co-- ah!"

Kate ignored his warning that fell short, relishing in his gasps and stuttering breaths, the tightening of his fist in her hair as he spilled into her mouth. She took all of him without complaint, licking him clean when he was done before he pulled her back up onto his lap.

"That was incredible…" He panted, holding her firmly against him.

But was it enough? Was  _she_  enough?

Her heart clenched at the thought as he pulled her in for a passionate kiss. Did he know? Had she conveyed her feelings without speaking them? Would he understand?

It wasn't long before Tom was scooping her up in his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist, making his way toward his bedroom.

He laid her down on the bed, pulling his pants the rest of the way down and kicking them away from him. Kate wiggled out of her jeans as she watched him, and Tom stopped her before she could remove her panties. "Let me." He whispered with a smirk as he leant down next to her ear.

Kate shivered, releasing the hem from her fingers and letting him take over. He dragged them down with his teeth, slowly. The longer he took, the hotter she felt and her need for him grew. She was absolutely dripping for him, his fingers eased into her easily as his tongue swept across her clit.

"Tom!" She gasped, arching her back and her hips bucked as her hand reached down to encourage his movements. When her eyes met his, the moment seemed to intensify as did the ripples of her pleasure. The moment he sucked on her clit and moaned against it, the vibrations spiraled her into release.

As he crawled up her body, a grin stretched across his pretty face and he hummed. "I will never get tired of doing that." He stroked her blissed out face. "Or those beautiful sounds you make while I'm doing it."

Kate's eyes became glossy at his choice of words and his expression grew tender. His lips peppered kisses along her face slow and steady,

Would he, though? He said that now… but would she eventually bore him?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Tom rolling them over and hoisting her up to sit up on his hips, "Will you sit pretty for me up there?"

She smirked, once again pushing her thoughts away as she straddled him. "Can't promise to sit still though." Kate felt him twitch underneath her, so she gave a wiggle with her hips once.

Tom closed his eyes and let out a soft groan before opening them to gaze up at her with arousal. "I would prefer it if you didn't anyway."

Kate leant down and kissed him, rolling her hips to drag herself along his already hard again cock. His hands settled on either side of her, encouraging her movements with a gentle guide of back and forth, a string of steady, needy moans passing through his lips.

"Kate…" His breathless plea lit her whole body on fire and she broke from him to right herself and sink down onto him. It was slow and torturous, but it felt so damn good.

With her palms pressed flat on his chest, she began to move. She watched as his eyes trailed along her body, his tongue swiping out onto his thumb, which he dragged across her nipple. He pinched and pulled at it, half a smirk breaking through his concentration when Kate whimpered from the touch.

Tom pulled her back down, resting her forehead against his for a few moments. If she could stay like this forever, she would. It was so intimate, so sensual and she poured her love out into her movements. She couldn't hold back the tears that once again pricked her eyes, a few escaping down her cheeks.

She couldn't imagine he felt anywhere near what she felt for him. He was quickly becoming her everything and she wanted to be with him all the time, and it both scared and saddened her. She didn't want to part from him just because it was a work night, she didn't want to have to call him before work to say good morning or after work to talk about their day. She wanted to tell him in person.

Tom rolled them over for a second time and his hands slid into hers, pressing them into the mattress. The gesture wasn't aggressive in the slightest, it was sweet and tender, the way his fingertips slid lightly into the palm of her hand and hooked over her own. His lips met hers in a gentle, languid kiss as he rocked his hips against hers. The moan he emptied into her mouth dragged her closer to release. It was deep and needy, absolutely alluring.

Kate mumbled his name, gasping into his mouth and moving her hips to meet his thrusts, showing that she was so damn close.

Tom pulled his right hand out of hers and grasped her jaw, kissing along the other side of it and nipping at her ear, "Will you cum for me?" His silky smooth purr sent a shiver down her spine and spiraled her into release. A few more thrusts and Tom was pulsing inside of her, his face buried into her neck.

 

* * *

 

Kate looked like an absolute goddess as she laid there, post coital. Cheeks tinted pink, kiss swollen lips parted, the not so gentle rise and fall of her chest; she was perfect. Even with her beautiful brown hair disheveled and her makeup smeared, Tom wouldn't trade this woman for the world. She was his and only his, and the thought made his chest swell as he held her close to it. Tom gently dragged his fingertips along Kate's spine, her face cupped in his hand as he kissed her.

He felt extremely lucky to be able to hold her in his arms. Nothing felt more right to him in this moment and it felt both blissful and scary at the same time. His stomach and his chest seemed to malfunction whenever he was around her or simply thinking of her, which was all the time. When they were apart, he found himself counting down the minutes when he would see her again.

His grip on her cheek tightened a little and his mouth sought hers deeper as he realized something.

Tom was deeply in love with Kate Rees.

When they pulled back, they smiled at each other and Tom ran the backs of his fingers across her cheek. The simple gesture was so tender and sweet, it made Kate's eyes flutter. Tom nearly opened his mouth to tell her how he felt right there and then, but stopped himself.

Was now the right time?

Kate rested her cheek down on his chest and Tom grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a single gentle kiss to it. He then toyed with her fingers, staring down at them as he did so, rubbing his thumb along them and admiring how soft and pretty they were.

Was that the right moment to say how he was feeling? What if he ruined it? What if Kate hadn't felt the same way and he freaked her out? What if she wasn't ready for that?

Tom threaded his fingers through hers, bringing them down to hold against his chest where his heart was.

He wasn't sure if he could take Kate's rejection after their passionate encounter. Maybe he would wait. He'd try to gauge and see if she might feel the same way before he told her.

Dropping a kiss to her forehead, he nuzzled his cheek against the top of her head and letting his eyes drift closed. He wasn't going to sleep, but it felt nice. It was times like these that he enjoyed spending most with Kate; quiet, intimate and uninterrupted.

Well, for a short time anyway. They couldn't last like that forever.

After about an hour of laying there, enjoying each other's company, Kate announced that she had to go back home and prepare to go into work. She had a new exhibit going up and she had to prep the area a bit more everything was arranged in it the next morning.

Then Tom finally had some understanding on what Kate went through when he had to leave her to rehearse or take care of something with work. As soon as she got up from his bed, it felt incredibly cold and empty and he wished she was back in it. He watched her dress with a pout and when she caught a glimpse of his pitiful face, she burst out laughing, leaning over the bed to give him a kiss when she'd finished.

"Wish you didn't have to go." Tom mumbled when she pulled away with reluctance.

"I know… I wish I didn't have to either, but I promised Roxy that I'd go if she did. It would reduce our workload tomorrow like you wouldn't believe. It would easily turn it into a 12 hour day, if not more."

Tom sighed, "I understand." He scrambled to think about the next time he'd see her and sat up quickly.

His abrupt movement caused the sheets to fall away from him and expose himself, causing Kate to sweep her gaze greedily along his body. She groaned, biting her lip, "Tom… Cover yourself or I really won't be able to leave…"

He looked down and a mischievous grin slowly spread across his face. He slid himself over to her side of the bed and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her a little closer to the edge of the bed. "Sounds like a win for me…" He slid a hand into the waistline of her jeans and gave her bum a light squeeze, dropping a couple of warm kisses along her collarbone.

She let out a soft moan and struggled against his hold, "Tom." She warned, but it wasn't very firm.

He chuckled against her skin and let her go. "Alright, go to work." But when she turned, he caught her wrist gently. She looked back and smiled, giving him a kiss goodbye. "See me on Wednesday night. I'll take you out somewhere real nice."

"Alright, that sounds lovely. It's a date."

She turned to leave and looked back at him when he wouldn't let her go. His lip jutted in a pout, causing her to giggle. "Tooooom, I have to go! Why are you doing this to me? You're making it so damn difficult to leave!"

He showed her an innocent smile, "Because I don't want you to leave." He chuckled, releasing her wrist. "Let me walk you out. What kind of gentleman makes his girlfriend leave on her own?" He scooted off of the bed and slipped his pants back on.

"Last time I checked, you are anything but gentle." Kate winked at him, immediately thinking about their New Years fun, their time in New York, and a few other times after that when he was less than gentle with her body.

Tom seemed to have the same idea, his lips curling into a smirk. "I was gentle today, wasn't I?"

Her cheeks flushed and her heart fluttered from the memory of how sweet he was just a short while ago. How warm and loving his movements were. " _Today_." She teased, leaving him to trail after her.

Tom caught her, slipping his hands onto her hips and whispering into her ear, "You love it when I'm rough."

Kate grinned, "Well, I won't deny that. But I love anything you do to me, no matter how you do it." She twisted around in his arms and snaked her arms around his neck as she felt his hands go around to her back.

The moment fizzled out into something sweet suddenly as they gazed into each other's eyes. Both wanting to say something more, but neither of them saying it.

Kate leaned up and kissed his cheek, "I have to go now."

Tom nodded, sighing. "I know." He held her hand all the way to the door with his fingers intertwined with hers. Kate grabbed the knob of the door and twisted it open, and it took everything he had not to push it closed. He wanted to selfishly throw her over his shoulder and drag her back to bed.

His heart clenched as he watched her go. He then wished he would have said it. Why didn't he say it? He swore to himself he would tell her next time he saw her. On Wednesday. That's when he would tell her he loved her.

 


	13. Enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, you’re seeing this right! Crimson_Peak and I felt terrible for making you wait so long, that we busted our asses to get this next chapter written and posted so early! Again, we thank everyone who has stuck around during the last month! Despite it being completed so fast, this chapter was extremely difficult for Crimson_Peak and I to write, so we hope to hear what you all thought about it!

Kate was exhausted. She was almost done with the exhibit for the day and all she wanted to do was sleep. She stayed much later than planned with Roxy the night before, and was back at it again a bit earlier than when they normally went in, so she didn’t get much sleep. She worked through her first break of the day, only took a few minutes to eat her lunch and then she was back at it again and ended up having to take her afternoon break in one of the meeting rooms in the far end of the building where it was quiet, so that she could take a quick nap. She slept through Tom’s texts and was unable to respond to him until she left that night.

When her and Roxy parted ways at the door, she called Tom as she made her way to the tube.

“There you are!” His cheerful voice came through as he answered the call.

Kate let out a tired laugh, “Yeah, sorry… Today was super busy.”

“On your way home, are you?”

“Yeah, I’m almost to the station.”

“Stay there, I’ll come pick you up.” She heard rustling on the other end.

“No, no, that’s alright! It won’t take me long to get home.”

“You sound exhausted. What if you fall asleep on the tube? I’m coming to get you. Hang on.” She waited a minute and heard a door shut. “Are you still near the museum?”

Kate smiled. “Yes, I’m on the corner of Exhibition and Thurloe.”

“Alright, stay where you are and I’ll be there soon!”

Because Kate was leaving later than normal, the traffic wasn’t bad at all and Tom was able to get there within fifteen minutes. He pulled up to the curb and Kate let herself inside.

“Hey gorgeous.” Tom grinned, his hand brushing hers as he leaned over to give her a kiss.

“Tom, you really didn’t have to do this. It’s getting late, its cold and so far out of your way…”

Tom smiled, shaking his head, “I wanted to. I wouldn’t have been able to just sit back after you’ve worked so hard and risk something happening because you’re too tired.”

She blushed, squeezing his hand as he began to drive away. “Well, I appreciate it. And it is nice to see you so unexpectedly.”

Tom hummed, shooting her a smile as his thumb brushed the back of her hand, “Agreed.”

“So what did you do today?” Kate mumbled tiredly, looking out of the window as she rested her head against it. His car was so warm and cozy, and she was relieved to be off of her feet. Boy was she lucky he came to pick her up, she no longer had to attempt the walk from the station to her flat. Not that it was incredibly far to begin with, but now she’d get dropped off in front of her door, and she wouldn’t have to deal with getting on and off the tube, taking the stairs and making the trek down the street.

“Oh, I had a meeting to attend about the new movie, signed a couple of contracts, nothing too exciting. I had most of the afternoon to myself, so I mostly just lounged about with Bobby.” His eyes flitted toward hers before they went back to the road as they stopped at a light. “Thought about you a lot today.”

She turned her head toward him, smiling. “Yeah? What kind of thoughts?” Her eyes had a hint of playfulness in them.

Tom’s heart began to beat quickly, chuckling nervously at her suggestion. He actually had been thinking about their date and what exactly he was going to say to her… but… should he tell her now? He could get it out of the way and not have this anxiety over it anymore. “I was thinking that I…” He trailed off, suddenly shutting the impulsive idea down. No, he couldn’t tell her now, not in his car after she’d been working all day and looked like she could fall asleep at any moment. Because that would be romantic, looking over after confessing his love and finding her asleep.

“About how much I was looking forward to our date.” Not a lie, he really was thinking about the date.

“I am, too. Where will we be going?”

“I made reservations at Hélène Darroze.” The way the name of the restaurant rolled off of Tom’s tongue sent heat throughout her body. Though she was tired, she couldn’t ignore the tingles it gave her. She shifted in her seat slightly to face Tom and her hand ran up to his forearm.

“Sounds lovely.” She purred, gently giving his arm a squeeze.

“Yeah? Charlotte highly recommended it, said they had good food.”

And just like that, her body stiffened and like a bucket of cold water, the heat was gone. “Oh, did she?” She tried not to sound annoyed as she let go of his arm and all but slumped back into her seat.

Tom hummed in confirmation, “She was at the meeting today. I told her that we were going out on Wednesday night and that I wanted to take you somewhere new and she suggested we go there.”

Kate turned her head and rolled her eyes, holding back a huff. Of course she was at the meeting. Of course she was the one to suggest where they go. Of course.

“Well, that was nice of her.” She hated how fake she sounded, but Tom didn’t seem to notice as he focused on making a right turn near her flat.

“By the way, I meant to ask you how Roxy was doing.”

“Roxy?” She paused, taking a second to think about what he was referring to. “Oh, right! She’s doing fine. I think she misses Greg, but she won’t admit it.”

“I mean, if they were together as long as you said they were, I can see why she might miss him, even if it was mutual. The familiarity is probably what she misses most.”

Kate nodded, thinking about what he was saying. She loved how considerate he was and that he actually listened when she told him about Roxy and voiced her concerns about her friend. And he actually asked about her! In her previous experiences, most of her boyfriends weren’t that invested or that caring about those kind of details of her life.

“We’re here.” Tom’s gentle tone brought her out of her deep thoughts. He turned the car off and went around to her side of the car, opening the door for her so she could get out. She threaded her arm in his as they walked to her door.

When they got to the door, Kate dug out her keys from her bag and looked up, giving Tom a sad smile. His hands found hers, linking their fingers together and thumbs rubbing the backs of her hands. He gazed into her eyes and broke one hand from her to tuck her hair behind her ear. “You look pretty today, Kate. Tired eyes and all.” She smiled at his words, cheeks glowing pink. His hand lingered on her cheek as he leant down to give her a kiss.

Tom kept his lips on hers, not wanting to remove them just yet. They were so warm, so addicting to him that he couldn’t bring himself to abandon them so soon. When he felt Kate’s arms slip around his waist, he mirrored her, wrapping his free arm around her to hold her closer. His hand gripped her cheek firmly as he deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue past her lips.

She hummed contentedly into the kiss, holding onto him tighter. Though it was cold outside, the air around them became heated and thick with desire. “Tom…”

Her needy moan when he slid his hands further down her back to cup her bottom, made him come back to his senses. “I should go.” He panted, his eyes closed at he rested his forehead against hers. “You have to work in the morning and… I would only exhaust you further.” His tone was laced with arousal and she could feel him pressed against her thigh, making it really difficult to fight the urge to grab him by the shirt and drag him into her flat.

Kate sighed, giving him one more kiss before he released her. She glanced at him with another sad smile as she pushed her key into the lock.

“Good night, Kate.”

“Good night, Tom."

 

* * *

 

When Kate arrived at work the next day, Roxy gave her a tentative wave and Kate could feel her eyes on her all morning. They chatted casually, but Kate could tell there was something she wanted to say but was holding back.

“Alright Roxy, what’s up?”

“What do you mean?”

Kate pursed her lips, not believing Roxy’s false innocence. “You’ve been staring at me all morning.”

Roxy gave her a sheepish smile, “Just seeing how you’re doing. Making sure you’re alright.”

She raised an eyebrow, turning back to her computer. “I’m a little tired, but otherwise…” She trailed off, wondering what Roxy’s deal was. “Why?”

Roxy waved at her, shaking her head. “It’s nothing. I just wasn’t sure how you were going to react to Tom’s newest article, but you seem fine. You’ve seen it, haven’t you?”

Kate snapped her attention over to her, “Article? What article?”

She sighed, “Apparently not. It came out yesterday afternoon. It’s about Tom and… Charlotte…” She looked nervous to bring it up.

Kate’s heart began to beat quickly, “Oh God…” She checked the clock and bit her lip. She knew she should probably ignore it, but she needed to know what it said. “I’m taking my break.” She grabbed her phone and left the room, tucking herself away in the back of the breakroom.

Searching on the internet, Kate found the article Roxy mentioned, exhaling a deep breath before clicking on it.

_Tom Hiddleston and Charlotte Harper were spotted leaving the Hamilton Hodell offices in London together earlier today. Just a short time after rumours came out of the two being cast in a new romance film, their management have now confirmed this to be true. Although the date of when they begin filming is unknown at this time, sources say they will be traveling to Los Angeles shortly, where the majority of the movie is set to take place._

_While Hiddleston declined to comment, Harper was more than happy to provide her thoughts about their upcoming plans; “Tom and I are so excited to begin this new project. After performing in Unresolved, we’ve become incredibly close and are thrilled to continue being able to work together.”_

_How close have they become? Harper wouldn’t say, but could this be the start of a new co star romance? Reportedly both single, they will be spending several months on set together every day with a script full of romance. Who’s to say these two haven’t started a relationship already? They were lovers on stage, could they be lovers off stage as well?_

Kate swallowed, a lump forming in her throat as she read on, her brain screaming for her to stop; to close the window and ignore the silly amateur article. They were only speculations. So why did they make her feel so nervous? So upset?

She took the rest of the break to collect herself, giving herself a pep talk and fighting the urge to contact Tom about it. It was probably nothing and she didn’t want to look silly fussing over some unofficial online news piece.

Finally going back to her desk, she gave Roxy a weak smile and immediately recommenced the email she’d been halfway through typing before she’d fled the office a while ago. She could feel Roxy’s eyes on her but she stared resolutely at her screen, her fingers tapping the keyboard quickly, and possibly a little harder than necessary.

“Kate?” Roxy asked, nervously.

Without looking at her, Kate shook her head. “I don’t wanna talk about it Roxy… I  _can’t_  talk about it because if I do I’m going to cry.”

Her voice faltered as she spoke and she took a deep breath, desperately trying to hold herself together as she continued to type. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as she tried to focus, the words of the article running through her head again. She growled in a mixture of anger and frustration and leant back on her chair, running her hands down her face and finally looking back at Roxy.

“I’m not sure how much more of this I can take, Roxy.”

Roxy stood up and wheeled her chair around next to Kate, sitting down again and placing her hand on her arm in an attempt to comfort her as Kate continued, “I saw Tom last night, he didn’t even mention that damn article!”

“Maybe he didn’t think it was worth mentioning? It’s just trashy tabloid talk Kate, Tom’s told you before to pay no attention to it.“

Blinking away the tears that were threatening to fall, Kate shook her head “But it’s not that easy. Not when Charlotte is encouraging them at every opportunity she gets. This is exactly what she wants! And it’s only going to get worse once they start shooting this movie, once they’re over in America together and I’m over here, thousands of miles away. Zack told me to fight for him, but how can I, Roxy? How can I fight when Charlotte always seems to get what she wants?”

Roxy smiled at her sympathetically, “I wish I had some words of wisdom for you, but I don’t know what to say. This whole situation sucks and I hate seeing you so upset.”

“I hate  _feeling_  this upset.” Kate whispered, still trying to keep a hold on her emotions.

“What are you going to do?”

Staring into her lap, Kate shrugged “I don’t know.”

 

* * *

 

 

Wednesday evening had Tom standing in front of his mirror in the bedroom, slipping his tie around the collar of his buttoned up shirt. His navy blue slacks were freshly picked up from dry cleaning and neatly pressed; not a crease in sight.

As Tom fastened the tie and ran his hands along his stomach to smooth out his shirt, he sighed. All it took was a brief thought of being overdressed and he was yanking his tie loose. “It’s not like you’re proposing, Tom. Get it together.” He muttered.

He couldn’t help it though. It’s not like he went around confessing his love everyday. He may have the hearts of thousands, but Kate was no fan girl. She dated him for him, not because he was famous. There was a possibility she would not be ready for that stage in their relationship and even though he would understand, it terrified him. He cared about her so much and he wanted to be able to express his love without making her feel uncomfortable. He also wanted to hear it from her, too.

When the tie came off, he studied his appearance and now wondered if he wasn’t dressed enough. He opted to put the tie back on, wanting to look his best. They would be going to a fancy restaurant, so of course it wouldn’t look out of place, he was just being silly.

Tom’s phone went off in his pocket and he assumed it was Kate calling. He was due to leave any minute now and maybe she was running late?

He reached inside and took it out, swiping to answer and wedging it between his ear and his shoulder as he kept his attention on fastening his tie. “Hey love, I’m just about to leave–”

“Tom?” The weepy, panicked voice on the other end made him freeze.

“Lottie?”

“Oh Tom, thank goodness!” Charlotte cried, sounding partly relieved.

“What’s wrong?” Tom abandoned his progress on the tie and picked his phone up, holding it to his ear.

“He-He’s outside my house… He followed me home.” Her voice stuttered and Tom’s heart raced. She was talking about the stalker. There were a few occasions where she felt like someone was following her and she was beginning to see him around more and more, yet he never approached her, always lurking close by. It was enough to make Charlotte uncomfortable. He told her to call him anytime she needed to if she’d seen him again.

Tom frowned in concern, “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

“N-No, he didn’t confront me, but… what if he tries to get in?”

“Have you made sure all your doors and windows are locked?”

“Yes, but… God, I’m so scared, Tom. What if he wants to hurt me?” Charlotte’s breath caught as she sobbed into the phone and it made his stomach twist.

“Have you called the police?”

“No, but I have before and they don’t do anything! He flees before they get there and they have nothing to go on! I don’t know who he is or what he wants!”

“Okay… Okay, please calm down. Erm…” Tom wasn’t sure what to do. He glanced at his watch, realizing he was running late. “You should–”

“Will you come over, Tom? Please? I’m so scared. Maybe once he sees you, he’ll leave!”

Kate’s disappointed face flashed in his mind and he sighed softly so Charlotte wouldn’t hear. “Of course. I’m on my way.”

“Thanks Tom…” He hung up and tossed the phone on his bed, pacing back and forth as he ran his hand through his hair. Shit, what was he going to say to Kate? She was going to be so disappointed. But surely she’d understand?

He cursed, thinking about his plans for romance tonight, his love confession and the lovely dinner they would have had. He didn’t want to wait, but there wasn’t much he could do about it, he couldn’t just abandon Charlotte when she needed him most. Tom wouldn’t do that to her.

Taking a deep breath, he picked up his phone and grabbed his keys as he dialed Kate’s number on his way out the door.

 

* * *

 

 

Kate sat at her vanity, fluffing up her hair after getting finished with her makeup. After having some time to work through her thoughts, she was feeling a little better about the whole news article situation and was ready to put it behind her so that she could enjoy her date with Tom. She resolved that maybe he wanted to ignore it like he usually said for her to do, or maybe he didn’t know about it at all when he’d seen her.

She looked herself over and decided it was good enough, standing to walk over to her bedroom window. She’d glanced at the clock a couple of minutes prior to realize it was almost time for Tom to come and pick her up. He’d be leaving about now to get into his car and drive over.

As the minutes ticked by, she grew more and more excited to see him. She knew he would look handsome, no doubt dressed in a suit. She loved when he wore suits, especially since they were custom fitted and showed off every delicious curve that he had. Hopefully she would get to peel that off later and get a better view of them.

Suddenly, her phone was ringing. She tore herself away from the window and picked it up from her bed where she’d left it. She smiled as she saw Tom’s name displayed on the screen and swiped across to answer the call “Let me guess, you’re running late?”

The line was silent for a few seconds before Tom’s voice replied, “Not exactly…" He sounded stressed and she could tell he was on the handsfree in his car.

“Tom? What’s wrong?”

“Listen darling, I’m so,  _so_  sorry but we’re going to have to take a rain check on tonight.”

“Oh…" Kate tried to hide the disappointment in her voice. Tom would never cancel on her without a genuine reason, and judging by his tone it must be important. It was probably something to do with work, she knew how seriously he took his job. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s Charlotte…" Kate froze at the mention of her name, “I was just about to leave to come and get you and she called to say that guy had followed her home. She’s absolutely terrified Kate, I need to go and see if he’s still there and check that she’s okay.”

Kate slumped onto her bed, feeling like she’d been punched in the stomach. He was cancelling their date because of Charlotte.

“Shouldn’t she be calling the police rather than you?” She snapped. She knew Tom would pick up on the irritation in her voice but right now she didn’t care. She was done with that woman ruining everything.

“He runs before they can catch him and she sounded awful. Look I’m sorry Kate, really I am, but she needs me.”

 _So do I._  

Kate stopped herself from screaming at him and tried to think quickly of some way she could fix this evening before it turned completely to shit.

“I could always just come over later, once you’ve seen Charlotte? I’ve taken the day off tomorrow so we could spend a bit more time together. It was meant to be a surprise, I was going to tell you over dinner…” She babbled.

On the other end of the line, Tom sighed, “I don’t know how long I’m going to be with Lottie for, so it wouldn’t be fair to leave you hanging around waiting for me. It’s probably easier if we reschedule. Maybe if you’re off tomorrow you could come over in the morning and we can go and do something really nice? Something special, to make up for tonight.”

Still sitting on the edge of her bed with her elbows on her knees, Kate dropped her head to her hands and squeezed her eyes closed,

“Yeah, okay.”

What choice did she have? Tom had made it clear that she wasn’t going to see him tonight.

“Look, I’m almost at Lottie’s place now, so I’d better go. I promise I’ll make it up to you tomorrow, okay?”

“Be careful Tom. If he’s still there…”

“I will darling, I will. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Before Kate could say goodbye, the line went dead. She pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at it. Tom had cut the call and her phone was now back to her home screen, a photo of her and Tom in front of the Statue of Liberty in New York looking back at her. That was the moment Kate crumbled. She let out a sob and threw her phone across the room, not even caring about the sickening cracking sound it made as it hit the wall. Charlotte had won again, and Kate couldn’t fight any more.

 

* * *

 

 

Tom staggered through his front door, trying to juggle four bags of shopping and keep hold of Bobby as he went. Kicking the door shut behind him, he dropped Bobby’s lead and hurried towards the kitchen, letting out a sigh of relief as he dropped the heavy bags onto the counter. He flicked the kettle on before walking back into the hall to shake off his coat and shoes and unclip the lead from Bobby’s collar, hanging it up on its hook.

He yawned and stretched as he walked back into the kitchen and grabbed a mug from the cupboard, spooning a large amount of coffee into the cup. It had been past midnight before he got home last night, after spending several hours with Charlotte. Of course, the guy had disappeared by the time he arrived but Charlotte had been pretty shaken up. She’d begged him to stay the night but finally after Tom had made her a couple of warm whiskey drinks to help her calm down, she’d been sleepy enough to agree to let him leave as long as he kept his phone close by in case she needed him. When he woke up this morning, he’d fired her off a quick text to check on her and she’d replied immediately to say she was fine. So now he could concentrate on his day with Kate.

Tom smiled as he unpacked the shopping, feeling pleased with himself at the surprise he had managed to think up at short notice. The weather for the day was forecast to be quite warm so he’d decided he would take her for a picnic, hence his early morning dash to the supermarket for supplies. He’d probably bought way too much food, but he wanted today to be as perfect as possible, especially after last night.

Maybe Kate would prefer it this way. It was less formal, more intimate. They could pick a nice quiet spot on Primrose Hill and enjoy some nice food and a glass of champagne in the sunshine, and then Tom would tell her. He would tell her that he loved her and that no other woman in this world could ever compare to her. It was going to be  _perfect._

He glanced at the clock as he poured the boiling water into his mug. He had just over an hour until Kate arrived. Taking his coffee with him, he hurried off to his bedroom to get ready. He’d have a shower and get dressed. Then make the sandwiches and prepare the other food just before Kate got there, so that it was nice and fresh.

Discarding his hoodie and sweatpants, he stepped into the shower and turned the spray on, tipping his head back and closing his eyes as he ran over in his head again what he was going to say to Kate. He pictured her face, her beautiful smile, and his cock twitched at the thought of her. Reaching down, he stroked himself lazily a couple of times before deciding against it. He was quietly confident that if today went according to plan he would be taking Kate to bed later. He’d be making love to the woman who had captured his heart in a way that no one else ever had and he was pretty sure no one else ever could. Today was going to be the best day ever.

 

* * *

 

 

Kate sat at her dressing table staring blankly at her reflection in the mirror. The dark circles under her eyes showed just how little sleep she’d had last night. After her call from Tom she had cried for what seemed like forever. All the emotions she’d tried to keep under control over the last few months had finally come pouring out and she was ashamed to say she’d wailed like a baby, literally crying her eyes dry. After that she’d poured herself a very large glass of wine and tried to think rationally about what to do. She paced her lounge for hours, chewing nervously on her fingernails as she went back and forth, torn between her head and her heart.

She loved Tom and she really wanted this to work out… maybe they could get through it? But was love enough? Could she really carry on like this, constantly competing with Charlotte for her boyfriends attention and affection? At one point she’d sat down at her table with a piece of paper, writing ‘pros’ on one side and ‘cons’ on the other. She’d stared at it for a few minutes before shaking her head and screwing the paper up and throwing it angrily at the wall. At four o'clock in the morning, she made herself a hot chocolate and lay down on sofa, too tired to even walk to her bedroom and get in bed. Closing her eyes she sighed sadly, knowing what she had to do.

Kate walked slowly to Tom’s house, her legs feeling like lead. With every step she took, the sinking feeling in her stomach increased. She stopped at his gates and took a deep breath as she remembered all the times she’d been here before, and for a second she started to doubt her decision. She’d usually be practically bouncing through his gates and up to the front door, excited to seem Tom and eager to spend time with him. She quickly reminded herself that was exactly why she had to do this. She wanted happy memories of Tom, she wanted to look back and think of him fondly, with no regrets. Suddenly her phone started to ring. Pulling it from her pocket she saw Tom’s name displayed on screen and frowned. Oh god, he wasn’t going to cancel on her again, was he?

“Hello?” She answered tentatively.

“I can see you standing by the gate… what are you doing?” Tom chuckled, “Are you coming in?”

“Yeah.“ Kate exhaled, “Yeah, Sorry. I’m coming in now.”

“See you in a second, darling.”

“Bye…” Kate stuttered, hanging the call up. She pushed the gate open and immediately saw Tom standing at the door, smiling at her. God, why was he so gorgeous? Yeah, she loved to see him in a suit but he was equally as handsome when he dressed casually like now, in dark jeans and a red plaid shirt which was only buttoned halfway up his chest. Her head was screaming at her to turn and run but she made herself keep walking, forcing a smile as she approached.

“Hey gorgeous.” Tom purred, kissing her softly and wrapping his arms around her. Kate closed her eyes as he pulled her against his chest, and held him a little tighter than usual, relishing every moment of what would be the last time they ever did this. Tom released her and turned to walk inside, chatting happily as she followed him.

“So I thought we could have a picnic on Primrose Hill… It’s such a beautiful day out there…”

“Tom.”

“…and we can find somewhere nice and quiet to sit away from everyone else…”

“ _Tom!_ ” Kate repeated, more forcefully.

Tom stopped and turned to her, still smiling widely, “Yes, sweetheart?”

Kate took a deep breath, “I need to talk to you.“

“We can talk when we get to Primrose Hill!  I’ve packed up all the lunch into a hamper, I just need to grab the picnic blanket–”

“No.” Kate interrupted, watching as his face dropped, “We need to talk now.”

She needed to do this. She needed to do it now, before she changed her mind. Tom frowned and tilted his head to one side as he looked at her, “Okay… do you want to sit down?” He gestured towards the living room and Kate nodded once, walking into the room and perching on the edge of the sofa as Tom sat down next to her, placing his hand on her knee as he watched her expectantly, waiting for her to speak. Kate looked down at his hand and reached for it, taking it in hers and lifting it to her lips, kissing it gently before guiding his hand back into his lap and letting go. She forced herself to meet his gaze as tears started to prick at her eyes.

“I can’t do this anymore.”

“Do what?”

“Us. I can’t do it anymore… I’m sorry.”

Tom just stared at her for a few seconds, like he hadn’t heard what she said. She watched him until finally he spoke. “Are you… breaking up with me?”

Letting out a shaky breath, Kate nodded. “Yes, I am.” Her voice came out firm, she had to be firm. If not for him, for herself. Because damn, she didn’t want to do this. But she had to. She had to take care of herself. The thought of him not being hers anymore sent a pain through her chest that felt like a punch to the gut. Her breathing suddenly became difficult and she felt the tears coming. She couldn’t let him see her cry. She had to be strong.

“Why?” He whispered as if he didn’t trust his own voice. Were those tears in his eyes? Kate tried to focus on steadying her breathing, looking down at her hands. She felt as though she would break if she saw him cry and she was determined not to break down in front of him. Before she had a chance to answer him, Tom spoke again. “This isn’t because of Charlotte, is it? Because we’ve been through that before…”

Kate swallowed, thinking over her words for a moment. “Not entirely, but yes…” She let out a sigh and stood up, pacing across the room. “It’s not  _just_  Charlotte, it’s everything.”

She made the mistake of glancing over at Tom, who was frowning and she could see him trying to understand. “Everything? But I thought we were…” He trailed off, letting out an exasperated breath, as if he couldn’t believe what she was saying, that this was happening.

Her throat suddenly felt extremely dry and her chest felt tight. She cleared her throat, blinking back her tears. “You’re busy all the time, Tom.  _All the time._ And it’s only going to get worst when you start filming this new movie.”

Kate could see his chest rising and falling in panic, his eyes darting around the room as he tried to process what she was saying and finally settling back on hers. “I-I’d come back to see you as often as I could, I’d fly you out to visit me, too.”

“It’s not good enough, Tom. It wouldn’t work.”

He let out a breath she realized he’d been holding, “Not good enough? This is my career, Kate! You know that I can’t–”

“I get that, I do. But you have no idea how hard it is for me!” She pinched the bridge of her nose, willing herself not to cry. “How it makes me feel when I barely hear a word from you for days, or hell, if I don’t see you for over a week! How am I supposed to deal with it when it turns into much longer than that?”

Tom stared at her, he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“The time difference alone will make it next to impossible for us to talk.” She added, shaking her head.

Tom stood, walking towards her. “It won’t be like that! I-I’ll make sure to call or at the very least text you every day.”

“What about  _her?_ ” She asked, unable to bring herself to actually say her name.

“Lottie? What about her?”

Kate wanted to cringe at her name. She  _hated_  that name. That affectionate nickname that he gave her.  "How am I supposed to deal with the fact that she’ll be around all the time?“

Tom took another step forward, “Let me talk to her again. I can make this right.”

He reached out for her but Kate stepped away from him, “No. You can’t make this right. It’s too late…”

“Kate….” Tom begged. She looked up at him as a tear escaped his eye and trickled down his cheek, and her own started to fall.

“You don’t know how awful she was toward me. How insignificant she made me feel. You don’t know what she put me through.” Kate shook her head, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

“Then tell me, Kate. I thought she just–”

Kate’s lip trembled and her voice wavered as she spoke, “You thought she what, Tom? That she was just joking? Did I misunderstand her remarks about the fact that I’m not your type? That I’m not good enough for you? Should I just ignore that she wants you so bad that she’ll do or say anything just to get close to you?”

“That’s not true.”  

“It is true, Tom! You should see the way she looks at you.”

He shook his head, “Even if she does, I only have eyes for you. No one else matters, Kate.”

“I wish I could believe that…” She whispered, her heart clenching with her words.

“It’s true! I…” He slowly took the remaining steps toward her, closing the cold distance between them. “Kate…” He took her hand in his, bringing it up to his mouth so he could press a kiss to her palm as he looked into her eyes. He placed her hand onto his cheek, resting it there as he closed his eyes. “I was going to take you for a picnic today…” He opened his eyes again and Kate suddenly found it difficult to breathe.

“Tom, stop.” She couldn’t do this. She didn’t want to listen to him try to sway her.

“I had it all planned out. I bought all this food and champagne… it-it was going to be so romantic. I was going to–”

“Don’t.” Kate cut him off with a shaky voice, unable to let him continue. “Please stop.” She drew her hand back, the tears streaming more steadily down her face.

“Don’t do this, Kate… please…” His voice broke, causing her heart to.

Kate shook her head, “I can’t do it anymore, Tom, I just can’t.” She turned to leave and Tom followed her, his breath coming out a bit harder as he tried to keep it together.

“Kate, wait!” He caught her as she reached the door, pulling her back to face him and into his arms. “Please Kate, please don’t leave.”

She felt his chest vibrate and Kate knew she should pull away, but her first instinct was to hug him back. His arms felt so good, so comforting that she wrapped her arms around him and decided to embrace him one last time. She buried her face into shoulder, inhaling his beautiful, sweet citrusy scent and began to cry a bit harder, unable to hold back.

Tom tightened his arms around her, his hand sliding up and weaving his fingers into her hair. They stayed like that for a minute, crying into each other’s arms until Kate decided she had to go. If she didn’t leave now, she wouldn’t be able to. She pulled back from him, “I have to go.”

Tom gasped, “Kate!”

She turned around and reached for the door, pulling it open.

“Kate, wait, please! I–”

She glanced at him one last time and stepped outside, “I’m sorry.” She whispered, looking away and closing the door behind her.

It was over.


	14. Broken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been 84 years, but we're back with Chapter 14! It's going to be a rough ride, but we had to expect that, didn't we? We appreciate your patience and hope you enjoy!

Kate walked away from Tom’s house, trying to hold in the large sob that was threatening to escape from her chest at any moment. She desperately fought the urge to turn around to see if he was watching her, but she knew that if he was, she wouldn't be strong enough to not run back to him. Back into his arms, back to the man she loved more than she’d ever loved anyone in her life. But Kate had to remain strong and stick with her decision, even though it already made her sick with regret.  _ It's for the best. _

 

She quickened her pace as she emerged onto the main road back to her flat, tears blurring her vision. It was then that she realised she was holding her breath. She exhaled a heavy, shaky breath, keeping her head down and blinking a few times to try and clear her sight. Perhaps she should have thought ahead and had a taxi on standby to take her home. She knew she was going to be a mess, but maybe she'd hoped to have it a bit more together than this. 

 

A whole new wave of tears started to fall as Kate finally reached home and unlocked the main door to her building, beginning to climb the stairs. As she took the last few steps she scrubbed at her eyes, throwing herself off balance. She stumbled forwards, her knees and forearms hitting the hard concrete floor on the landing as she fell.

 

“For fuck's sake!” She hissed in pain as she picked herself up again, reaching across the floor for her keys which she’d dropped as she fell. Snatching them off the ground, she sat back on her heels and looked at her arms which were dirty and scuffed. Sighing, she sat down against the wall. “I’m such a fucking mess.” Kate stuttered, dropping her head back against the wall and closing her eyes, finally allowing herself to let go of all the emotions she’d been holding in over the last hour or so, as her cries echoed around the empty hallway.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Fourteen hours and thirty eight minutes. Fourteen heartbreaking hours and thirty eight miserable minutes ago, Kate had walked away from Tom and for most of the time since then she had been laying on her sofa. She had the same Spotify love song playlist on repeat, every song making her cry even more than the last time. She couldn’t sleep, she couldn’t eat - damn, she didn’t even want alcohol. She just wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole, putting her out of this misery that she only had herself to blame for. 

 

What had she done? She'd just thrown away one of the best things she'd ever had - and for what? Charlotte. She let that nasty, selfish woman wedge herself between her and Tom, and she  _ won. _

 

_ It's not just Charlotte. _ She told herself,  _ It's the schedule, too. The constant disappointment and longing when he was away or busy. The loneliness. _

 

God, she was needy. It was a wonder he hadn't broken up with her first for that alone. Maybe she did him a favor. Maybe once he got past the initial shock and sadness that overtook those beautiful features when she had left him, he'd feel relieved. Free.

 

Her google search history ranged from  _ Can you die from a broken heart?  _ to  _ Is it really possible to cry your eyes dry? _ and the answer to both was yes. So she was pretty sure that in a couple of days someone would find her dead on her sofa with big, bulgy dried out eyeballs.

 

Suddenly her phone alarm started chirping, scaring the life out of her and making her jump so hard that she fell off the sofa. “Jesus!" she cursed, grabbing blindly for her phone on the table as she still lay where she’d landed. Finally getting hold of the device, she held it at arms length in front of her as she tried to swipe the screen across to silence the infuriatingly annoying chimes. Losing her one handed grip on it, it slipped from her hand and hit her square on the forehead. 

 

“Give me a fucking  _ break! _ ” She hissed, snatching it from her face and finally managing to make the noise stop. Yep, she was cranky. Sighing, she realised that her alarm meant she’d been awake all night and now she should be getting up to get ready for work. Crawling back into the sofa, she scrolled through her phone book and dialed Roxy's number. It rang quite a few times and Kate was about to give up when finally her friend picked up.

 

“Hey lady! I’m guessing you wanna grab breakfast before work? That’s the only reason you ever call me this early.”

 

“I can’t come in today, Rox." Kate's voice came out hoarse, her throat hurt from crying.

 

“Are you okay? Are you sick? You sound horrible.”

 

Kate had to take a breath and steady herself before she answered. Clearing her throat, she ignored the burning pain that lit the insides of her throat up. “I broke up with Tom.”

 

The line went silent and Kate pulled it away from her ear to check that the call was still connected.

 

“Roxy?” She questioned, wondering if she was still there.

 

“I’m here, I just… shit, Kate. What happened?" She paused, "This wasn't because of what I said, was it?" She could hear the guilt in Roxy's tone and she sighed.

 

“I… I can’t talk about it right now. I’m sorry Roxy. Not yet… and I can’t come to work today.”

 

“Are you okay though? I can come over after work?” Kate knew her friend was worried about her, but the thought of seeing anyone and having to talk about what had happened made her stomach turn. She just wasn't ready to face anyone yet.

 

“I’ll be okay, thanks. I just wanna be alone I think. I need to get my head together so I'm not a basket case during work.”

 

“Alright, well.. if you’re sure? Call me if you want anything, okay? And don’t worry about work, I’ll take care of it.

 

"Thanks Roxy.”

 

“Just promise you’ll call me if you need me, okay?”

 

“I promise. I’ll see you soon."

 

Kate hung up and stared blankly at her phone as she realised her screensaver was still the picture of her and Tom. Meaning to change it, she scrolled through her pictures, skipping quickly over any of Tom until she found one of her and Roxy making stupid faces into the camera. She saved it as her background picture and went back to Tom's. She lingered her gaze on her favorite picture of them, reminiscing over the memory of that particular day. Pain pierced through her heart and she went through, frantically selecting each of the pictures with Tom in them, with the intention of getting rid of them. Once they were all queued, her fingers hovered over the ‘delete’ button... but she couldn’t bring herself to do it, to erase another part of Tom from her life. She locked her phone and threw it down on the sofa next to her, as she lay back against the cushions and closed her eyes after throwing her arm over them. 

 

Tom had loved her sofa. It was years old and pretty worn but every time he’d sat on it he would always make some sort of comment about how cozy and comfortable it was. Kate remembered how he used to stretch his legs out across it, taking up all the space so she would have to sit on his lap. Of course, she didn’t mind. But none of that mattered now, Tom would never sit on her sofa again, infact Tom would never be in her flat again. Her heart ached as the memories came flooding back. Their first kiss at her door step, their risky business in the taxi, their first time having sex… 

 

Kate was sure she had cried her eyes dry, but more tears escaped, pouring out of the side of her eyes as she thought about the man that she loved. She had never loved anyone as much as she loved Tom and yet she had broken up with him. God, she missed him already and it hadn’t even been a whole day yet. 

 

Kate didn't move much the entire day. She made herself eat a little bit and she tried watching some of her shows. She wanted to get lost in their drama instead of hers, but it only worked for so long. Finally about halfway through the day, she passed out from exhaustion, but she dreamed of Tom. She dreamt of him lying next to her in bed, his fingertips grazing her back as he gazed into her eyes. Sunlight shone across his cheekbones, highlighting their beautiful structure. His blue eyes were warm and full of love, her dream self felt so happy.

 

The doorbell ringing pulled her from her dream and she desperately fought to hold onto it. But she was unsuccessful, her eyes opening as she groaned. Who the hell was coming over unannounced? When she shook the fogginess from her head,  her heart raced and she wondered if Tom had come. Was he here to beg her to change her mind? To tell her he couldn't live without her?

 

Kate got up and checked her appearance in the bathroom, gasping as she took in her red, puffy eyes and her extra messy messy-bun. She quickly threw water on her face, washing it and patting it with a towel. She brushed out her hair to make it more presentable before throwing it back up a bit neater this time. Kate made her way to the door and exhaled, mentally preparing herself. She flung the door open hopefully, but the person standing there wasn’t Tom.

 

“Zack?”

 

“Hey doll.” He smiled at her sympathetically, his tone soft and vigilant as he eyed her appearance. ”Roxy called me and told me what happened… She was worried about you and I’ve been trying to reach you all day."

 

She blinked, surprised to see him standing there. "I… my phone must've died…" She mumbled, trying to sort through her thoughts.

 

His voice was so calming and she felt a comfortable warmth envelope her as her best friend stood before her. Kate burst into tears again, relief, disappointment and sadness all mixing together. Zack stepped forwards and scooped her up into a hug, squeezing her tightly, closing the door behind him.

 

"Oh Zack…" Her voice came out in a squeaky tone as she tried to speak through her tears.

 

"Shhh, it's okay." Zack hushed her, stroking her hair and letting her cry for a few moments before pulling back. When his fingers ran over her arms, he looked down with wide eyes. "What happened to you, Kate?"

 

"I… fell yesterday on my way home…" Heat rushed through her cheeks and Zack frowned. 

 

"And you didn't clean yourself up? Jesus Kate, come sit down." He guided her over to the couch and left the room, returning with a first aid kit and a wet cloth. He bent down on his knees and studied her arm, taking the washcloth and cleaning her up. "Always making me take care of you…" He held back a smile, shaking his head. The nurse in him was kicking in, he always did this when something happened. Always scolded her when she didn’t properly take care of a wound or did something dangerous to her health, like the time when she briefly picked up smoking. She tried to hide it from him because she knew what he’d say, but he caught her in the end and made her give it up.

 

"S-Sorry…" She sniffled, wiping her eyes with her free hand.

 

"And stop doing that or you're not gonna be able to see soon. They're so swollen." He lightly pressed the skin around her eyes. “I wish you’d take better care of yourself.” He murmured took his hand away, shifting to get some ointment and a bandage. 

 

“Why didn’t you call me?” He asked, busy at work with applying the cream to her scrapes.

 

Kate shrugged as she stared into her lap, “I needed some time and…” She sighed, “I’m okay.”

 

He paused, looking up at her. “No you’re not.”

 

After considering his words, she decided she couldn't fool him. He knew her too well. Kate shook her head “No, I’m not. I’m not okay and none of this is okay.”

  
Zack stared at her for a moment before looking back down at her arm and resumed fixing her up. “Do you want to tell me what happened?” He placed the bandages on and set her arm down, looking back up at her. Avoiding eye contact, Kate picked absentmindedly at the bandages.

 

“Hey…” Zack encouraged.

 

She sighed again and finally met his eyes, “Charlotte won.”

 

Zack sat back on his knees and opened his mouth to say something but Kate held a hand up to silence him, “Don’t say it, ok? Don’t tell me I should have fought for him, because I couldn't fight anymore! I’m  _ tired _ , Zack. I’m tired of this whole situation and I have no fight left. So yeah, Charlotte won. She got what she wanted and I lost the man I loved more than I’ve ever loved anyone or anything. It’s done, it’s over. It’s all gone.”

 

Abruptly, she got to her feet and stormed away to the kitchen, getting a glass from the cupboard and opening the fridge to take out a bottle of wine. As she reached for it, she hesitated and withdrew her hand, closing the door and going back to the other side of the kitchen where a bottle of whiskey stood on the side. Tom’s bottle of whiskey. She glared at it for a few seconds before quickly undoing the lid. Opening the cupboard, she replaced her wine glass for a smaller tumbler style glass and poured a shot of Whiskey into it, immediately downing it and exhaling as she refilled her glass. 

 

“Kate.” Zack's voice came from the doorway

 

Without turning to face him she shook her head, “I’m exhausted, Zack. Emotionally and physically fucking exhausted. I just couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t…” She trailed off as her voice broke and she started to cry again. Zack crossed the room quickly and turned her around, hugging her as she started to sob heavily,

 

“It’s okay, doll. Everything’s going to be alright, I promise."

 

“Is it?” Kate stuttered into his chest, “Because at the moment it doesn’t feel like it. It just  _ hurts _ . It hurts so much that I can’t even think straight!"

 

Zack released her, gripping her shoulder gently so that he could look at her. “It’s gonna hurt for a while. And you’re gonna scream and shout and cry a whole lot more. But I’ll be here with you, and in between all that stuff, we can eat our body weight in junk food, drink alcohol, watch hours of Netflix and be social recluses until you’re ready to face the world again.”

 

He bent his knees so he was the same height as Kate and smiled at her “How does that sound?”

 

Biting her lip, Kate smiled back at him weakly and nodded “Thank you.”

 

Aside from running home to pack an overnight bag with a few needed essentials, Zack vowed to not leave her side the entire weekend. He was there through every break down, sat through every sappy movie Kate wanted to watch and he listened to her when she was finally ready to go into detail about what had happened the night that Kate decided to end things with Tom.

 

By Monday morning, Kate was up and showered, preparing to go to work. She had thought about taking an extra day off, but what was the point? She had her couple of days to get her head straight and she didn't really want to miss another day of work, since she had taken quite a bit of time off earlier in the year for her holiday with Tom.

 

It was all thanks to Zack for keeping her sane through this and she felt like she could get through her day without breaking down again. 

 

He insisted on walking her to work, so they left a little early to grab some coffee from her favorite shop to perk herself up a little more. Kate grabbed one for Roxy and as she did, she began to feel anxious to see her. She needed her friends now more than ever and she felt really lucky to have one so dependable and another to be able to work with and see every day.

 

"Are you sure you're going to be alright? You're not going to call me from Pizza Express again, are you?" He hadn't meant that as a jab at Kate, and she knew that. His look of concern was genuine and she appreciated how accommodating he was being, having moved his work schedule around for her without her even having to ask.

 

She gave him a smile after she finished a sip of her coffee as they walked along the sidewalk, approaching the museum. "I'll be fine."

 

"I can come see you at lunch?"

 

She chuckled, shaking her head. "I'll be okay Zack, I'm going to have lunch with Roxy. I'm sure she'll want to chat about everything. I've barely talked to her all weekend and I feel awful, I know she was just trying to look out for me."

 

"Alright, if you're sure… but I'm only a phone call or text away!"

 

Kate turned toward him, throwing an arm around him, "Thank you for everything this weekend. Really, I appreciate it."

 

Zack nodded and returned her hug. "I'd do anything for you, Kate, you know that."

 

Kate smiled, "Will you come over tonight for dinner? I'll make you something."

 

He squinted his eyes, "No more sappy kissing movies and we have a deal."

 

She laughed, "Deal."

 

Kate walked into the museum with her head held high after she'd parted ways with Zack outside. She was determined in trying to have a decent day at work and  _ not _ think about Tom. Well, aside from the talk Roxy was going to want to have and she couldn't blame her, she'd given her hardly anything when they'd spoke the day Kate had called off.

 

When she walked into the office, she found Roxy already hard at work on her computer, so she simply dropped the cup off on her desk and went to go sit down at her own.

 

"Hey." Roxy stopped typing and cautiously watched her sit.

 

"Hey Rox." Kate set her bag down and booted up her computer.

 

"How's it going?"

 

Kate swallowed back the lump forming in her throat and she sighed, realizing she was already beginning to get emotional. "It's going… I feel a little better than I did the other day, but not much." 

 

Roxy shot her a sympathetic look. "It's going to take time. Time and… lots of wine."

 

Kate let out a shaky laugh, trying to hold herself together. "Already got that covered." She forced a grin and Roxy laughed along with her.

 

"But seriously though, you're going to get through this. Especially when you have friends like me and Zack. There will be other guys, Kate. I know it sucks now, but you'll find someone even better than Tom and you won't even think twice about him!"

 

Kate's chest tightened at the thought of having to date again, to move on from Tom and be with somebody else. "I highly doubt that… I-" She shook her head, holding back the tears that were pricking her eyes. "I don't know if I'll ever get over him. I just… I know that it was only a few months, but it felt  _ real _ Rox. Like sure, we had a lot of amazing sex and it was fun, but it was more than that, it was special, like nothing I’ve ever had with anyone else before. He was the first person I’ve ever imagined a future with." She paused to sigh before continuing “Maybe if we’d met in a different time and place, under different circumstances, we could have had a future. But here and now, no matter how much I loved him, it was too complicated. I couldn’t be the person he needed and deserved."

 

Roxy reached across her desk and put her hand on Kate's. "It's still early, Kate. I  _ know _ that it hurts and I can understand you're feeling that way, but it'll be okay."

 

"I know…" Kate grabbed a tissue and dabbed at her eyes that were damp with unshed tears. "Right now, I just miss him so much. At times like these, whenever I was feeling down or upset about something, I could just call him and it's like his voice alone made everything better."

 

Roxy stroked the back of her hand comfortingly as she listened, nodding in acknowledgement. "It's okay. You have me and Zack, okay? I know we're not Tom, but we're here for you Kate. Any time."

 

Kate nodded, sniffling. God, this is exactly what she wanted to avoid. She did  _ not _ plan on crying over this today. "I know Roxy and I appreciate it."

 

Roxy proceeded to calm her down for a few more minutes before they had to get to work on their upcoming project. It was just what Kate needed, to throw herself into something to be able to forget about Tom even for just a little while. Work ran late and she quickly texted Zack to let him know she was on her way home as she headed out of the office, but he was already standing outside of the museum waiting for her. 

 

 

* * *

  
  


For the next two weeks Zack stayed with Kate at her flat, and every morning he would walk her to work on his way to his shift at the hospital, and every night when he finished he would come back to the museum and meet her so they could travel home together. Kate didn’t think she could ever thank him enough for how much he’d done for her and how he’s been there for her since she’d split up with Tom, and she was pretty sure she would have gone crazy if she’d been in her flat alone for the last couple of weeks. Some evenings her and Zack barely spoke, they just chilled on the sofa watching tv, but just knowing Zack was there if she needed him was reassuring enough, like he was her safety blanket. 

 

There was one evening that Zack had some errands to run on his way home and wouldn’t be passing the museum to meet Kate after work, so he told her not to wait up and he'd meet her at her flat.

 

“You gonna be okay getting home without Zack?” Roxy asked as Kate pulled on her jacket and switched her computer monitor off.

 

“I’ll be fine, Rox." Kate reassured her with a smile.

 

She gave her a casual wave goodbye and made her way down the corridors and out of the museum onto the street. She stopped briefly to pull her EarPods out of her bag, sliding them into her ears and starting one of her more upbeat playlists for the walk to the tube. 

 

As she got on, she thought about what her and Zack could have for dinner later on. She'd forgotten to check what she had back at the flat to make, so she might need to run to the store if she didn't have anything sufficient. Deep in thought, Kate stepped off when the tube reached her stop after nearly missing it. There were a lot of people getting on and off, which was normal for rush hour, so she just weaved in and out of people.

 

Suddenly, she caught sight of the back of someone extremely familiar. Her heart quickened in her chest and before she knew it, she was rushing after them, shoving past the crowds of people to catch up.

 

"Tom!"

 

How could he be here? Of all the places and times, he was-

 

Kate reached her hand up to touch his arm, but when he turned to look at her with confusion on his features, her stomach dropped. It wasn't Tom.

 

"Sorry, I-I thought you were…" She stuttered and ran past him, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Was she really expecting it to be Tom? She felt so silly for even thinking that it was him, that she was hoping it was. It was for the best that it wasn't him... So why was she so disappointed?

 

Once Kate left the station, she rounded a corner and collapsed onto a nearby bench. She hunched over and dropped her head in her hands while taking a couple of deep breaths. She could  _ not _ break down here. After taking a few minutes to compose herself, she started for her flat. Tears slipped down her cheeks the entire way home, unable to do anything but cry as her heart ached for Tom. Would it always hurt like this? Would it ever get any easier? 

 

She shoved her key into the lock when she arrived at her flat and let herself in. When she shut the door, she began to take off her shoes and heard footsteps approaching. As Kate slipped off both shoes, she looked up to see a concerned Zack.

 

"Kate? What's the matter?"

 

Instead of answering, she just shook her head and stepped forward, burying her face into his chest and wrapping her arms around him. She began to cry, both out of relief to see him here already and out of sadness.

 

Without hesitation, Zack slid his arms around her and stroked her hair soothingly until she began to calm down. He pulled back and swiped his thumbs across her cheeks to rid of the tears on her face. "C'mon."

 

He slid his arm around her shoulders and guided her over to the couch, urging her to sit. He draped his arm over the back of the couch and waited for her to start talking. 

 

"I thought I saw him." She began, unable to look at him as she confessed what she'd just done. "There was a crowd of people at the station, I thought Tom was there and I just… I went for it. Without even thinking, I rushed after him. Only it wasn't him." She sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. "What did I think was going to happen if it were? I…" Her voice cracked.

 

"It's okay…" Zack reached over to rub her arm comfortingly as he gazed at her with sympathy.

 

Kate shook her head, "It's not. It's not okay.  _ I'm  _ not okay."

 

Zack pulled her into another hug and Kate wrapped her arms around him, welcoming the embrace. It felt so good to be in his arms, it was so soothing and she felt so safe. He was always there for her no matter what.

 

"I was so stupid, Zack." She mumbled into his chest as he stroked her back.

 

He pulled back slightly with a soft expression, "You're not stupid. You're so smart, Kate. I think you're sweet and genuine, and you've got a big heart." 

 

"Then why hasn't he called, Zack? I tried not to let it bother me, but it's been two weeks since I walked out that door and he hasn't once tried to reach me! I mean, I'm not expecting him to come and sweep me off my feet, but… doesn't he want me back? Doesn't he care?" Her eyes were watering again and she desperately tried holding it in. Her chest tightened up again at the thought that Tom didn't care enough to at least try to talk to her. She was torn between not wanting to be swayed into getting back together with him and being disappointed that he didn't even try. Kate thought she would go crazy, her mind tugging her in both directions until Zack brushed her hair back from her face, the sudden tender gesture distracting her from the torment going on inside.

 

"I can't speak for him, I don't know what he's thinking. But what I do know, is that he's an idiot for letting you go so easily."

 

For a brief moment, Zack's words melted her heart and caused a temporary lack of judgment. It felt so nice to have someone care for her that it tugged on her heartstrings and before she knew it, she found herself stepping over a line she had no business crossing.

 

Kate closed the distance between them, her lips brushing over his. It was light, tentative at first, until Zack cupped her face and began to kiss her more firmly. His lips were soft and warm, his breath hot and pulling her in further. She was getting lost in kissing him as his tongue demanded entrance, sweeping across her bottom lip. Kate parted them, allowing him to explore her mouth, to brush his tongue against hers. Zack slid a hand to her back and she snaked her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Her hands rubbed just underneath the collar of his shirt while he ventured his own under the hem of her top, sliding them up and down her back.

 

While kissing Zack felt good, it didn’t feel right. His touch didn’t light her body on fire like Tom’s did. She didn’t ache for him like she ached for Tom the moment his lips collided with hers. He wasn’t Tom.

 

“Kate…” Zack’s breathless utter of her name between kisses brought her back to reality. “I-...”

 

Kate pulled back with a gasp once she realized what she was doing. Zack was her best friend! She should not be sitting here right now with his tongue halfway down her throat! She looked at him with wide eyes, mortified that she even went down this path. Oh god, what he must think of her, suddenly attacking him like that!

 

“Zack, I…” She placed her hand over her mouth to steady her thoughts. When she pulled it away, she started spewing out her apologies. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I did that.” She scooted backward to give them space and Zack stared at her, his chest heaving. “I’m sorry.”

 

“Kate, Kate… It’s okay.” He grabbed for her hands, but she pulled them away as she shook her head.

 

“I shouldn’t have done that. I lost my head for a moment and I guess I was craving closeness with someone and I just…” She exhaled deeply and gave him an awkward laugh. “I just miss Tom so much, you know? It was stupid of me and I totally regret it. Forgive me?”

 

Zack studied her face with an unreadable expression before looking down and rubbing the back of his neck. “You don’t have to apologize. It’s okay, really.” His eyes met hers once more and he forced a smile. “We can just forget about it…” Suddenly he grinned, any trace of discomfort gone from his face. “Although, I thought it was pretty great.” His tone sounded a bit off, but Kate brushed it off.

 

She cracked a smile, “It was, wasn’t it?”

 

Zack laughed for a moment before clearing his throat. “Anyway, um… If we’re going to eat, I should run to the store, because you have like, no food.”

 

Kate frowned, “I don’t? Shoot, I can go, I-”

 

“Don’t worry about it. I have to grab a couple of things for myself anyway. I’ll go.” Zack jumped up and grabbed his keys off of the table. “Be back soon!” He called, making his way out of the flat.

 

The moment the door closed behind him, Kate blew out a breath and flopped onto her back. What the hell was that? Kissing Zack? What was wrong with her? She almost just wrecked her long time friendship with her best friend all because she missed her ex-boyfriend. 

 

He’d been spending so much time with her lately and taking such good care of her, she just… She thought that’s what she needed, but it was only confusing her. Zack being there all of the time was making her much too dependent on him and maybe it was time for him to take a step back and go home. He’d picked up all of the pieces of her broken heart, now it was time for her to begin to glue them back together. That was not his job and she couldn’t believe she let it go this far.

 

God, what a mess.


	15. Moving On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look what miraculous thing happened this week! Another update! This chapter was another emotionally rough one to write, but it had to be done! I was made aware that the last chapter should have come with a tissue warning, so here it is! 
> 
> This chapter may require tissues, so please have some readily available during visual consumption. 
> 
> Enjoy! ;)

The sound of Bobby's distant bark from outside snapped Tom's blank stare at the door, pulling him out of his state of shock. He took a deep breath and let it out before making his way over to the back door to let his dog inside. He'd let him out just before Kate got there in preparation for their lunch date, which he assumed would take a while. How long had he left him outside for? 

The moment Tom opened the door, Bobby raced inside, sniffing around and lingering near the front door as he caught on to Kate's scent. He lifted his head to follow Tom's movement across the living room to plop onto the couch. As if sensing his owner's distress, Bobby trotted over to him and sat at his feet, looking up at him curiously. When Tom didn't acknowledge him like he always did with a smile and scoop him up, Bobby let out a low whine and jumped onto the couch next to him. He curled up next to his side and put his head on Tom's lap, laying there quietly while Tom continuously replayed his break up with Kate. This wasn’t part of the plan for today, this wasn’t supposed to happen. It had come so out of the blue… He thought he and Kate were happy, he thought they were in love. He didn’t know she‘d been thinking something completely different. He knew Charlotte was a touchy subject, but all the other stuff Kate had said about him never being around… he had no idea. Why hadn’t she told him it was all getting too much? She'd always assure him that she was fine, but… had he really made her suffer?

Tom should never have let her leave. He should have tried harder to make her stay, so they could talk and work it out. But he’d been so surprised when she’d told him that she was breaking up with him that he couldn’t think straight. It was like he’d gone into shock. Why had he let her go? His eyes darted around the room in search of his phone. He couldn’t see it anywhere.

“Where the fuck is it?” He growled, launching himself off the sofa, causing Bobby to bark in surprise and run off. He stormed towards the kitchen and straight away he caught sight of his phone lying on the counter. Snatching it up, he tapped at it impatiently, pausing only briefly to check his email notification - details of his flight to America in the next couple of days. Fuck, he was flying out of the country to look at apartments to rent short term while he was filming the movie. Right now he didn’t give a shit about flights, apartments or movies, his thoughts were only filled with Kate. His fingers moved quickly over the screen as he called up her number and let it ring. As he lifted the phone to his ear he realised his hands were shaking. He was a huge ball of nervous energy, shifting from foot to foot as he waited for the call to connect. 

_“Hi, this is Kate. I can’t take your call right now, so please leave a message!”_

Tom cursed under his breath and ended the call quickly. He didn’t want to leave a message, he wanted to talk to her, ask her to reconsider. God, he’d beg if he had to. He waited another minute before pressing redial and started to pace the kitchen, praying that maybe Kate had just been out of range and that this time it would miraculously ring, rather than going straight to voicemail. But as Kate’s cheerful voicemail message cut in again, he groaned in frustration and hung up again. 

Maybe she just needed some time alone? It wasn’t unreasonable for her to have turned her phone off after what had just happened between them… perhaps he should respect that and leave her alone for a bit. 

Tom sighed, running a hand through his hair as he reasoned with himself.

Maybe if he gave her a couple of days to think about everything, she’d realize how much she missed him? What was that saying? If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, they’re yours, and if they don’t, they never were… 

Tom shook his head at the thought, tears back and ready to fall.

This couldn’t be it, this couldn’t be the end. He just needed to give Kate a couple of days to get her head straight, and if she hadn’t called him by the time he arrived in LA, he would call her again. He just had to try and stop himself from going crazy until then.

The next couple of days were hell. He fought himself every step of the way not to pick up that phone and call Kate. But he promised himself to give her some time. That and he needed to sort through his own thoughts to be able to speak with her properly.

The night before he left for America, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. After settling on his side, his hand splayed across the empty side of the bed, the side where Kate slept. There was still a faint trace of her perfume on the pillow. He stroked softly over the sheets as he thought about how he loved waking up with her. The way she’d blink sleepily at him and immediately reach for him, nuzzling into his neck as her breath tickled his ear. His bed was so cold without her. He let out a shaky breath which caught in his throat as a tear trickled down his cheek and hit the pillow. He missed her so much his body actually hurt. 

Tom must have eventually fallen asleep because the next thing he knew, his phone was ringing on the cabinet next to his bed. He groaned and rolled over, groping around with his eyes still closed until his hands closed around his phone. He squinted at the display and swiped the screen across, "Yeah.” He mumbled, blinking a few times as his eyes adjusted to the light streaming through the cracks in his curtains. What time was it?

“Good afternoon, Mr. Hiddleston. Just confirming I will be there to pick you up in an hour." His driver replied politely.

An hour? But he wasn’t going until three o'clock that afternoon … Tom turned his head to glance at the clock in confusion and his eyes widened as he bolted upright,  “Fuck." He cursed under his breath. It was nearly two o'clock. 

“Is everything okay, Mr. Hiddleston?”

“Yeah. Yes, everything’s fine. I’ll see you in an hour.” He said quickly and hung up, dropping his phone on the bed. He threw the covers back and swung his legs off the side, getting to his feet and hurriedly grabbing his suitcase from the cupboard. He had to pack, shower, drop Bobby at the dog sitters, and be back in an hour. Yet still in his panic to get himself sorted, all he could think about was Kate. When he got in the shower, her shower gel was on the shelf.  When he opened his cupboard to get out a clean sweater, one of Kate’s blouses was hanging there. When he went to get Bobby's lead to run him around to the sitters, Kate’s umbrella was standing by the front door. She was  _everywhere_. 

The drive to the airport from Tom’s house didn’t take long thankfully, as surprisingly Tom wasn’t ready when his driver arrived. It was nearly a quarter to four when they left and Tom’s manager Luke spent the first ten minutes of the journey reprimanding him for his timekeeping. Tom was sure he wouldn’t have been so hard on him if he’d just told him why, but he wasn’t ready. He didn’t think he could bring himself to utter those words - 

_Kate and I have split up._

Instead, he just stared into his lap and nodded at the appropriate moments as Luke ran through his itinerary for when they landed in L.A.. They pulled up in front of the departures terminal at Heathrow and climbed out of the car, helping the driver with their luggage. As he stood on the pavement, Tom habitually patted his jeans pocket to check for his phone, and his blood ran cold. His pockets were empty. 

“My phone.” He stuttered.

“What’s that?” Luke replied, walking towards him after waving their driver off.

“My phone, it’s still at home. It’s on the bed where I left it when I woke up. Dammit! Get him back!!!” Tom gestured after his car which was now almost out of sight, heading towards the exit. He turned towards Luke with distress clear on his face. “Luke, get him back here! I need my phone!”

He could feel panic rising in his chest. He couldn’t go without his phone. What if Kate tried to call? Shit, he was meant to be calling her after he'd gotten situated at his hotel! He couldn’t leave without it. 

“Mate, we don’t have time! Come on!” Luke was pulling on his arm, practically dragging him onto the terminal.

Conscious of not drawing attention to himself, Tom tried to resist as he pulled back against Luke. “ I  _need_  my phone, I-"

“Tom." Luke interrupted him, fixing him with a stern glare. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you today, but we’re already late! We do not have time to go back and get your phone, okay?”

Tom could see people glancing at them as they walked past, and it was only a matter of time before someone recognised him, and he really didn’t need any more shit to deal with today. He reluctantly started to follow Luke towards the terminal. As they were guided through the VIP check in, his manager sighed and shook his head as he caught Tom's deep frown. "Look, we're so close to missing this flight as it is and I really need you to work with me here. You can just use my phone when we arrive in L.A. if it's so important."

Tom didn’t know Kate’s number, not off by heart anyway. “Do you have Kate’s number?” He asked him, already knowing the answer. By now they were being guided along a corridor towards the plane which was already boarding.

“No. Is that what’s got you so antsy? Because you won’t be able to talk to Kate? Just send her an email, tell her you’ve forgotten your phone." Luke replied nonchalantly as they were shown to their seats and stowed their bags in the overhead compartments.

“You don’t understand, it’s not as simple as that. I need to talk to her. I…" 

Tom stopped and huffed irritatedly as he threw himself down into his seat as Luke sat down next to him and chuckled. “You really have got it bad, haven’t you?!”

Tom scowled and turned his head to glare out the window his head a mixture of frustration and anger. Luke didn’t know the half of it.

The moment Tom landed in L.A., he wanted to jump on the next plane back to London and see Kate. How could he have been so stupid? So careless? And why the fuck didn't he memorize Kate's number? He was an actor for God's sake, he was brilliant at remembering lines, so why not a simple phone number? Perhaps he thought he'd never need to, as it was easy to scroll through his phone and click on her name. He should have memorized it or wrote it down anyway and stuck it in his wallet, in case of an emergency. God he couldn't think straight when it came to that woman. However, if he didn't at least screw his head on straight while he was there, he would be miserable during his stay while filming if he didn't pay attention and pick the right apartment. Not that he was exceptionally picky, but he was going to be there for  _months_. His stomach turned at the thought. He should be used to this by now, he'd done it plenty of times. But it was different this time. Kate was in the equation now. Or, she was. He wanted her to be.

Why did this have to happen now? Of all the times, it had to happen just before this damn movie. His time to fix this was narrow before things would get even more complicated. And here he was halfway across the world looking at bloody  _apartments_. Tom was so close to snapping at Luke when they pulled up to the tenth complex. He wanted to tell him to just pick one for him and be done with it so that he could go home. He was tired, he was antsy and just fed up. 

He tried to turn his mood positive and pass the time on the plane ride back by thinking that he might come home to texts and voicemails about Kate making a mistake and wanting to talk. Maybe the last few days of a break gave her enough time to think it over and reconsider?

By the time Tom flew into Heathrow, made it back into town and picked Bobby up from the sitters, it was getting late and he was wiped from the travel and time change. There was no way it'd be a good idea to go and see Kate until he had gotten some sleep in an actual bed. When he returned home, he eagerly checked his bedroom for his phone, finding it on the bed where he'd left it and quickly plugged it in, as it was long dead after having been abandoned for a week. Once his phone had enough juice, he powered it on and waited for his notifications to come through. There were dozens - of course - but the more he scrolled through them, the more disappointed he had become until finally he'd gone through every message, email, and voicemail. That's when his heart sank. Nothing from Kate.

Why hadn't she called, or even texted? She was clearly devastated when she broke up with him, it was clear she cared for him, but he couldn't help but wonder what this meant… Was she moving on? 

He had to find out tomorrow. 

 

* * *

 

 

Tom had to make sure he was there for when Kate finished work. On his way to the museum, he stopped at a florist in to get her some flowers. He spent quite some time studying the various bouquets, wanting to pick something perfect. Should he go all out and pick the biggest arrangement they had or should he go for something a little more understated and subtle? After standing there pondering for what seemed like ages, he picked a small bouquet of roses, chamelias, lavender and eucalyptus.

The closer Tom got to the museum, the more nervous and anxious he got to see her again. How would she react to him showing up out of the blue? Would she like the flowers? Would she throw her arms around him and tell him that she missed him? Or would she ignore him and walk the other way? Thinking back, he probably should have called her first… but there was no backing out now. 

With the bouquet of flowers in hand and having just turned onto the street, he saw the museum come into view. Just another minute and he'd be there. Just one more corner and across the street. He could feel his heart starting to beat faster as he glanced at the bouquet and smiled. He knew roses were Kate’s favourite flower and she had a little window box of Lavender in her flat, so he was quietly confident the flowers would be perfect. As he rounded the corner opposite the museum, he stopped dead. 

There, waiting outside the exit, leaning casually against the wall was Zack. No. No, no, no, NO. He couldn’t talk to Kate while Zack was there! Tom tried to think quickly. Maybe he could duck around to the other side of the museum and try to catch Kate before Zack got to her? Suddenly out the corner of his eye he saw the door to the museum open, and Kate emerged with Roxy. 

Seeing her again was like a dagger straight through his heart. His stomach flipped as he watched the two women share a brief exchange before laughing. Kate gave Roxy a wave goodbye, and turned towards Zack. As she approached him, Zack pushed himself off the wall and smiled at her, opening his arms and hugging her for several moments. He frowned, trying to lip read what Zack was saying, but with his face half obscured by Kate’s hair it was impossible. 

Tom took a couple of small steps back as Kate and Zack started to walk away from him, Kate linking her arm through Zack's, both of them completely oblivious to the disappointed, broken man standing there watching them from the pavement opposite them. As they disappeared from sight, merging into the other crowds of people making their way home in the rush hour, Tom turned away and began to walk slowly back home, his head down and his shoulders slumped. 

Of course she was going to be spending time with Zack. Tom wasn’t his biggest fan but he was Kate’s best friend and obviously one of the first people she would have turned to when they broke up. Tom tried to ignore the thoughts of Kate and Zack spending their evenings together, curled up on her sofa eating takeaways and talking for hours, almost certainly about him. How much had Kate told him? What advice had Zack given her? Perhaps she was okay without him, perhaps she was already over him and enjoying being single again, spending time with her friends and go out and do whatever she wanted. The thought of Kate having forgotten about him already made Tom feel sick.

Arriving home, Tom wandered aimlessly towards his kitchen with the flowers still in his hand. He looked down at them, wondering what to do with them. He ended up just sticking them in a jug of water and leaving them on the counter while he busied himself making some dinner and seeing to Bobby, and  _definitely_  not thinking about Kate.

The next week was a blur of final meetings and arrangements before Tom left for LA to start filming. Yet still Tom’s thoughts were all consumed by Kate. He still hadn’t heard from her, and he’d been so ridiculously busy that he hadn’t even had a moment to himself to try and speak to her again. But he knew that he couldn’t leave without seeing her, without trying to make this right. By Thursday evening he finally had some time to himself and he knew exactly what he had to do. It was time for someone to make a move and possibly sort this out, or at least be able to put it past them.

He knew Kate would be at home that night, she never liked to go out too much during the week as her job was so busy that she preferred to spend weekday evenings just relaxing and unwinding. Checking the time as he pulled his jacket on, Tom was sure she would be home by now - it was nearly eight o'clock. The flowers from a week ago had become a brown, wilted mess and since then been thrown out, so he decided to stop by the supermarket on his way to Kate’s flat and pick up a bottle of wine instead. They could sit down, have a drink and talk this all through. They could make this right. Picking up his keys and his phone from the side, Tom hesitated - should he call her first? No, he was past the point of wanting to call her, he needed to  _see her._  If he called first, would she just ignore his call or refuse to answer the door, knowing he'd just try to reach her? He wanted to catch her off guard, so he could gage her true reaction to seeing him. They’d be fine, it was all going to work out, he was sure of it. 

Tom walked quickly down the road towards Camden. It was a relatively short distance and he figured the walk would help him get things straight in his head and work through all the things he wanted to say. His only stop was at Tesco to get the wine. He took his time in choosing the right bottle - a nice Rioja, not too dry because Kate hated dry wine. She would screw her face up and shiver as she swallowed, and Tom had thought it was adorable and hilarious all at once. Clutching the bottle tightly and still smiling to himself as he remembered Kate’s dislike of dry wine, he made his way towards the till. Tom was paying very little attention to people around him and distracted by his thoughts, until he knocked into someone and nearly sent the wine smashing to the ground.

“Oh, I’m so sorry." He mumbled, regaining his grip on the bottle and looking up at the person he had pretty much head on collided with. As their eyes met, both their expressions turned from apologetic to something a little darker. They stared at each other for a moment before the other man spoke first.

“Hello Tom.” Zack said, his face straight and hint of disapproval in his voice.

“Zack… Hi.” Tom stuttered, taken aback at seeing him again.  _Real smooth, Tom._

They stood in silence for a few seconds, almost squaring up to each other, although Tom had a good few inches on Zack. The air was loaded, filled with things both men wanted to say to each other yet neither started to speak. Eventually Tom shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his head.

“How, um… How are you?”

Zack observed him silently for a few more moments before he replied flatly, “I’m fine."

“And Kate?” The words were out of Tom’s mouth before he could stop himself. He inwardly cursed as he tried to read Zack's expression but he remained straight faced. 

“She’s fine, too. I’m actually just on my way back to her place now, I’ve just popped out to grab a few bits for dinner. I’ve been staying with her, you see.” He added smugly, with a small smile.

“Right.” Tom mumbled. He didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know what to think. Zack had completely thrown him. He could usually handle situations like this easily but right now he was at a loss for words and feeling irrationally intimidated by the guy. 

“I can only assume that’s where you were heading next, too." Zack said, glancing down at the bottle that Tom was gripping so hard, his knuckles were turning white.

“I… um…"

Zack took a step towards Tom, “Let me save you a trip, mate. She’s not interested. Don’t humiliate yourself by going round there and begging for her to take you back. You were too stupid to see what an amazing woman you had and now it’s too late. You let her go and she’s better off without you.”

Zack looked him up and down one more time and stepped back, bending over to pick up his basket and starting to walk away.

“But I didn’t want any of this! She broke up with me!” Tom blurted. 

Zack stopped and turned back to Tom. “She did. And she’s moved on. She doesn’t need you anymore."

“Are you…” Tom started as Zack walked away without looking back. Now he understood - Kate had moved on and he was pretty sure she’d moved on with Zack.

 

* * *

 

 

By the time Zack got back from the shop, Kate had decided that he needed to go home tonight. It was time for her to be brave and get on with her life without Tom. She reminded herself that this was her doing, so she had to deal with the consequences. That didn’t mean it hurt any less, or that it was going to be easy. But she couldn’t keep relying on Zack anymore. She’d nearly single handedly ruined their lifelong friendship earlier tonight and as soon as he walked back through the door she began apologizing again, even more so when she noticed how on edge he seemed to be as he busied himself preparing their food.

“Kate, honestly, it’s okay. I understand." He assured her as he emptied ingredients into the saucepan for their stir fry. Kate hovered nervously as he stared at the pan, seemingly avoiding eye contact with her.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Zack sighed and finally looked at her, “I guess we’re both feeling a little weird after earlier, and then when I was at the shops I ran into…” He paused and glanced at the floor.

“Into who?” Kate pressed him to finish.

Looking back up at her, Zack shook his head, “Just this guy I know, but don’t really like. It was nothing. Don’t worry about it, it’s not important.” He reached out and patted her shoulder reassuringly “Go grab me some plates, this is just about ready."

Thinking nothing more of it, Kate laid some plates out on the table and opened a bottle of wine as Zack served their food and they sat down to eat. They chatted for a while about work and the series they’d just finished watching on Netflix and as they fell silent again, Kate knew she had to broach the subject of Zack going home.

“Hey, Zack? I was thinking earlier…”

Zack looked up and her and frowned, “Wow, did it hurt?” He smirked and Kate giggled as she tried to kick him under the table. 

“Stop it, I’m being serious!”

Zack put his knife and fork down and leaned back in his chair, picking up his glass and taking a sip, “Sorry, Sorry! Do go on. You were thinking…?”

“Maybe it’s time for me to be me again. I can’t keep you here with me forever in case I have a wobble. I think perhaps you should go home.”

Zack watched Kate intently before nodding slowly “Yeah, I mean, if you’re sure? I don’t mind saying here with you for as long as you want me to.”

Kate reached across the table and squeezed his forearm, “I know, and I really appreciate it and it’s been great having you here. But I think it’s time I try to get back to a normal life without you holding my hand the whole time."

Zack smiled and closed his hand over hers, “But just remember I’m always here to hold your hand if you need me to, okay? I’m only ever a phone call away.”

Kate felt tears stinging at her eyes as she smiled at her best friend. After everything she’d done earlier, he was still so understanding and supportive. He was her best friend.

“Thank you, Zack.”

They ate the rest of their dinner and then Kate helped Zack pack up the few of his bits that were scattered around her flat. He stayed for a little while longer while they finished off the bottle of wine and watched a couple of episodes of Friends, and by then it was quite late. They said their goodbyes and after agreeing to talk the next day as they usually did, Zack was gone and Kate was alone. She could do this. Life went on, with or without Tom.

 

* * *

 

 

For the next couple of weeks, life did indeed go on, and Kate started to believe she was getting through this. She started to smile more, laugh more. She realised she wasn’t thinking about Tom quite as much. He was still there, firmly in her mind and she still missed him like crazy, but it was bearable so she was taking that as a positive. 

When the text came, Kate was thirty seven pages deep in an article about lace preservation, her glasses propped on top of her head and her pen in her mouth as she chewed on it absentmindedly. When her phone bleeped she glanced at it disinterestedly, before going back to her article. Suddenly her eyes went wide and she looked back to her phone as her brain registered who the message was from. She made a noise which resembled a cross between a suffocating whale and a strangled cat, starting to flap her hands erratically as she stared at the screen. Opposite her, Roxy looked up in confusion,

“What the fuck? You okay there girl?”

“Tom!” Kate stuttered, “I’ve got a text from Tom!”

Suddenly taking more interest, Roxy bolted upright, “Shit! What does it say?”

Standing up so quickly that her chair tipped over backwards, Kate started pacing the small area around her desk “I don’t know!”

Roxy laughed at her, "Well, don't you think you ought to take a look?"

"Well yes, but…" Kate glanced at her phone again and chewed on her bottom lip.

“Do you want me to read it?” Roxy asked, getting up and walking around to Kate’s desk.

“Yes… no... Oh fuck, I don’t know!” Kate ran her hand through her hair as Roxy picked her chair up and guided her back down onto it. "It's-It's been over a month since I've heard from him! And-"

“Kate, breathe.” She picked up her phone and held it towards her, “Read the text."

Kate took a deep breath and gingerly took the phone from Roxy, who then perched on the edge of her desk with her arms folded, watching Kate. Her hands were shaking as she unlocked her phone and opened the message.

_Hi Kate, I hope you’re well. I’ve found a few of your things at my house and was wondering if you needed them. I could drop them round tonight? Tom._

Kate turned her screen around and held it out to Roxy. She read the text and raised an eyebrow as she looked back at Kate, “So what’s your answer? Did you leave stuff at his house?”

Kate shrugged, “Probably. I think there’s a blouse and I think I left one of my umbrellas…? Maybe some shower gel and a toothbrush?”

Roxy nodded, waiting for Kate to go on. All Kate could do was stare at her phone and try to control her breathing. This was the first contact her and Tom had had since their breakup. 

“What do I say?” She squeaked, looking back to Roxy.

"Well, do you want your things back?"

"I mean… it would be nice to have them, yes."

"An even bigger question… Do you want to see him?"

Kate blew out a deep breath and tipped her head back, closing her eyes. After a moment she opened them again and looked at her friend, “I think I do want to see him.”

Roxy eyed her cautiously, “Do you want me to come back to yours with you so I can be there when he comes round?”

Kate shook her head, “It’s okay, Rox. I need to do this alone. Maybe we can talk. Maybe…” She paused and shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe I’m getting my hopes up for nothing.” 

"Just meet with him and see what happens. He's going away to film for a while, right? Don't regret passing up an opportunity to see him before he leaves."

"You're right." Kate hit reply and quickly typed out a message.

_Hi Tom. If you could drop them over tonight that would be great. I’ll be home at the usual time. Kate._

Tom’s response was almost instant.

_No problem. See you later._

Kate didn’t get to page thirty eight of her article. She spent the rest of the afternoon unable to concentrate, her head filled with thoughts about that evening. Were her things just an excuse for Tom to see her? Was he going to tell her how much he missed her and beg her to reconsider? Again her head fought her heart as she desperately hoped he might ask her to work things out and then she reminded herself there was a reason she’d done all this in the first place. She was just starting to get over him, and this meeting could wreck everything. 

Despite all this, she found herself ducking out of work early and rushing home as quickly as she could so that she could get changed and touch up her hair and make up. She didn't want to regret refusing him, just as Roxy had said.

Kate sat impatiently on the sofa, fidgeting constantly and checking the time, wondering when he would arrive. When her bell finally rang, she practically sprinted to the door. She checked her reflection in the mirror and took several deep breaths to try and calm her nerves. Slowly, she opened the door and there he was. 

“Hi.” He gave her half a smile.

“Hi.” Kate replied, as she tried to focus on her breathing. He looked as incredible as ever, even in a simple navy sweater and dark jeans. She stepped back, opening the door wider and gesturing for him to come in. He moved forwards into the flat and Kate closed the door behind him, following him towards the living room where he was standing, looking a little uncomfortable. He turned as she walked towards him and held out a bag.

“I’ve been packing and getting ready to go to LA, that’s when I found your things.”

Kate took the bag from him, the tips of their fingers just brushing against each other, but still sending that familiar spark through Kate’s body. As she made eye contact with him, she was hit with a longing of being able to wake up to those beautiful blue eyes staring back at her. When his fingers would skim across her hip and light up her whole body. When a soft smile would stretch across his features and whisper that sexy little  _Good morning, Kate._

“I think that’s everything.” Tom added, pulling her from her thoughts. Oh God, she had been staring. She realized he wasn’t smiling. In fact his, expression seemed solemn and emotionless.

“Thanks.” Kate replied, cheeks tinted pink. As he plunged his hands into his pockets, he looked around the room uneasily. 

_Come on Kate, say something!_

“So, when do you leave?”

“Friday, so just a couple of days away now."

“Exciting.” Kate added, although she didn’t mean it. It was selfish, but she didn't want him to go.  She didn't want him to go and get on with his life. She wanted him to miss her as much as she missed him and that he wanted to work things out.

“Yes. Yes, I suppose it is.” Tom replied, yet he seemed not to think so either.

Kate watched him silently for a few minutes as his eyes darted around the room before settling on the floor. God, this was awkward. She’d never seen Tom like this before, even when they first met and they hardly knew each other. Was he just as nervous as her? She didn’t know what else to say or do. 

Should she bring up their relationship and the last time they saw each other? Perhaps they needed some alcohol to loosen them both up a bit. Tom didn’t look like he was in a rush to leave, yet at the same time he didn’t really look like he wanted to be there. Kate knew him well enough to be pretty certain there was something else he wanted to say though.

“Would you like a drink?” She asked.

Tom looked up from whatever he had been staring at so intently on her carpet and half smiled again. “No, thank you. I really can’t stay, but I needed to say something. Can we sit down for a moment?” He gestured towards the sofa and Kate nodded. Silently, they both moved towards it and Tom waited as Kate sat down before sitting on the edge of the sofa opposite her. 

Kate’s emotions started to build and get the better of her. Was he about to declare his undying love for her? Was that why he was being so weird, because he was nervous? Did he think she was going to reject him?

She watched expectantly as Tom picked at his thumbnail, like he didn’t know where to start. After a few moments he eventually spoke. “Listen, Kate, I…" He took a long pause, "I just wanted to say that there’s no hard feelings.”

Kate’s stomach dropped as she looked at him as he continued “It’s good that you’ve moved on, and I’m pleased for you. I only ever wanted you to be happy and I honestly hope that everything works out for you." Tom finally looked up at her, meeting her gaze. “I really do mean that from the bottom of my heart. You’re one of the sweetest, most caring people I’ve ever met and you deserve the world. I genuinely wish you nothing but the best. I guess some things just aren’t meant to be and you know, you have to accept that and move forwards, and we’re both doing that." He paused and shrugged, “So… yeah. I just wanted to say that.” 

“I…” Kate tried to talk but she couldn’t. Tears started to prick at her eyes as she realized that today hadn’t been about Tom wanting her back, it had been about Tom wanting closure. She couldn't break down again, not in front of him and especially not after the speech he’d just given her. His expression remained stoic as he sniffed and got to his feet. He looked towards the door, avoiding eye contact with her again. 

“I should probably get going. I have a lot to do before leaving.”

Kate knew if she tried to say anything she’d just break down, so instead she nodded and stood up, following him towards the door. He paused with his hand on the handle and looked back at her, and she wasn’t sure if there were tears in his eyes too. 

“Goodbye Kate." 

He opened the door and ducked out, closing it again behind him as Kate stood there speechless. God, she was so  _stupid_. Why had she let herself believe that they were going to get back together? She thumped her fists on the door with a frustrated shout before turning around and leaning back against it, sliding to the floor as the tears started to spill down her cheeks. 

 

* * *

 

 

Kate couldn’t believe she’d agreed to this. After her meeting with Tom a couple of days ago, she felt like she’d taken two steps backwards in her efforts to get over him. In an attempt to cheer her up and take her mind off it, Roxy and Zack had decided to take her out for the evening. As she stood at the counter of the packed bar waiting to be served, she wished she’d never allowed them to talk her into it. Her dress was too tight, her heels were too high, and her make up was too heavy. She just wanted to go home and change into her tracksuit bottoms, pull her hair up into a messy ponytail and fall asleep on the sofa watching reruns of Friends. The only saving grace for the evening was the cheap alcohol, and even that wasn’t really raising any enthusiasm in her. But she would try and enjoy herself for the sake of her friends, after everything they’d done for her over the last few weeks, it was only fair. And while she just wasn't feeling it, she appreciated the gesture.

Finally making her way to the front of the queue, Kate ordered their drinks and fought her way back over to the table where Roxy and Zack were deep in conversation, giggling away together like a couple of school kids. For every one drink Kate had, that pair had had two, and they were well on their way to being pretty drunk. Kate was taking things much slower, not trusting herself to get too over emotional if she got drunk. The last thing she wanted to do was end up calling or texting Tom with some declaration of drunken unrequited love. 

As she squeezed into her seat, Roxy nudged her with a grin. “That guy over there has been watching you all night.” 

Kate looked in the direction of Roxy's inebriated pointing, and caught the eye of a dark haired man standing near the DJ. He smiled and winked at her, but Kate quickly looked away again.

“You should go talk to him!" Roxy encouraged.

“Too soon Rox, too soon.” Interrupted Zack, taking another sip of his beer. 

Roxy turned to him, frowning. “It’s just harmless fun! It’s not like she has to marry him or anything!”

Roxy turned back to Kate, waiting for her to say something. She shook her head and stared into her wine, “Zack’s right, Roxy. It’s too soon. I can’t…..” She sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. She was  _not_  going to cry in the middle of this packed out bar. “I just don’t feel ready for that yet - any of that. Not even talking.”

“Let’s dance then!” Zack bellowed, spreading his arms wide. Kate rolled her eyes as Roxy cheered and stood up. Before she knew it she was being pulled to her feet. 

“Guys. Guys, wait!" She raised her voice a bit so she could be heard over the music as Zack tried to spin her around. "I think I’m gonna call it a night.” 

Zack stopped and looked at her sadly, “But it’s only early!”

“Zack, it’s gone midnight. My feet are killing me and I’m pretty tired.” She looked between her two friends as they pouted at her like sulking children. “You two should stay here and enjoy yourselves."

"No, I'm walking you home." Zack made a movement for his jacket, but Kate put her hand on his forearm. 

"It's okay, Zack, really. Don't make Roxy party here by herself. You should stay and have fun."

After studying her for a moment, his shoulders relaxed as he sighed. “Will you be okay walking home on your own?” Zack was so protective, always looking out for her.

Kate reached for him and gave him a hug, “I’ll be fine. I could do with the fresh air."

“Text me as soon as you’re home." Roxy butted in, shoving Zack to one side so she could hug Kate, too. A few minutes later after a few more reassurances that she would be ok, Kate was finally on her way home, walking barefoot with her shoes in her hand. 

Within ten minutes she was home, dropping her shoes by the front door and heading straight for her bedroom to peel off that damn dress and get into her comfy clothes. She took her contact lenses out and pulled her hair up into a bun on the top of her head and collapsed on the sofa with a satisfied moan. 

Reaching for her phone, she sent Roxy a text to say she was home safely, and then started to scroll half heartedly through the days news. Politics, crime, celebrity gossip, just the usual stuff. Kate kept scrolling until one story made her freeze. Before she could stop herself she’d clicked on the article and was staring at a photo of Tom. Her eyes skimmed over the caption underneath -

_Upon arriving in LA, Tom Hiddleston looks tired and miserable from his long flight from London, but the moment he sees his costar, Charlotte Harper, he's all smiles._

Kate drew in a breath as she continued reading - the article went on to describe how Tom had looked glum as he few out of London that morning but was met by Charlotte at LAX where he was suddenly seeming to be in a good mood as they greeted each other affectionately. Kate looked at the photos, examining them closely. Tom was practically beaming as Charlotte approached him. The following photo of them hugging made Kate’s stomach turn. She threw her phone down on the sofa and bit her lip, fighting back yet more tears. Only two days ago Tom had told her he’d moved on, and this was obviously what he meant. He’d moved on with Charlotte.


	16. Realization

Tom could still feel Kate when he woke. He could practically feel the warmth of her body heat, the softness of her lips as they brushed against his and the way her body reacted to the touch of his fingertips as he ran them along her spine. A sigh blew past his lips as he blinked his eyes open, aimed at the ceiling. He hated when he had dreams like the one he just had - it made it that much harder to get over the only woman he ever truly loved.

It had been six months since Kate had broken his heart and five of them were spent halfway across the world from her as he worked hard on the film he’d been cast in. He threw himself into his work, spending long hours memorizing his lines and going over scenes more times than he could count. Anything to wipe Kate from his mind, if only temporarily. It didn’t work quite as he’d wanted. 

Working with Charlotte again after the break up was… it was rough. She was one of the main reasons Kate had broken it off with him and seeing her was a constant reminder of that.

When he had arrived in L.A., he had mentally prepared himself to look happy to see Charlotte, to fool the paparazzi that he knew would be there, when really it was like a twist of the dagger in his heart to see her again. But on the other hand, it had been nice to see a friendly face. Tom had tried to meet with Charlotte sooner to have a chat with her about Kate, but between Charlotte having to head to L.A. early to get resettled into the house she had there and his own preparations for his stay and the film, it was next to impossible. 

After getting settled in his apartment and having a nap following his travels, he met Charlotte for drinks. One of the first things she asked him about was him and Kate.

“We, um…” Tom shifted uncomfortably in his seat. It still hurt every time he had to say these words. “We broke up.”

Charlotte’s jaw dropped as she looked at him wide eyed, “Seriously? I thought you were so into each other!”

Tom wasn’t sure if that was a question or a statement. Either way, he didn’t want to go into any more detail. Not with knowing how Kate felt about her. Instead, he shrugged. “It just didn’t work out.“

Charlotte smiled at him sympathetically, reaching out to squeeze his forearm gently, “I always thought she held you back anyway. You’ll be better off without her.”

Wait, what? Tom forced himself to smile back at her but her response had triggered something in his brain. Had she ever told Kate that she thought that? Clearly Charlotte hadn’t been as fond of Kate as she’d made herself out to be. 

Charlotte pulled him from his thoughts, telling him that she’d be there for him should he want to talk about it, which before he would have taken that as a sweet, friendly gesture. But now he found himself questioning her and her flirty smile, her finger twisted around her hair in an attempt to make her look sexy.

Tom tried to go on like normal after their meet up that day, but something felt  _different_. He was a bit taken aback, because he’d always thought Kate was overreacting. Had he really been that blind to it? Or perhaps she didn’t used to be this way, maybe this had just developed since he’d seen her all those years ago at RADA. Some people let the fame go to their head and perhaps Charlotte had fallen victim to that, and he hadn’t realized fully until he watched her interact in L.A., being around more celebrities and crew members. But it was  _Charlotte_. He’d known her for years and she’d always been so sweet and friendly and caring. She was a naturally confident and outgoing person and he supposed if someone weren’t used to it, maybe it could come across as flirty and a little high and mighty. She certainly hadn’t ever given him any signs that she wanted anything more than friendship from him, and she’d never tried to make a move on him. 

His head hurt as he questioned everything, analyzing it and looking for hidden meanings in every interaction he’d ever had with Charlotte. Tom had always considered himself a pretty good judge of character, could he really have gotten it all wrong with her? They were friends,  _close_ friends. They’d always got on so well and Tom just couldn’t believe he wouldn’t have noticed if Charlotte had wanted more from him. 

Things were tense during filming. His relationship with Charlotte was strained at times, though she hadn’t seemed to notice. She carried on as normal, inviting him over to her place for late night script readings to go over their scenes, but whereas before he would have seen it as just two friends hanging out, he found himself questioning her intentions. But she knew he was single now. If she was going to try it on with him she’d had ample opportunities in the last few months, yet she remained exactly how she always was around him and Tom started to sway the other way again and think that perhaps Kate really had just not been used to Charlotte’s touchy-feely natural affection. 

Now that they were finished shooting the movie, Tom was way past ready to fly home and leave this all behind him. He just wanted to be alone, in his house with Bobby. But he couldn’t yet, he had to stay in town for just another day. There was a party for the cast and crew at an exclusive club later that night. He had to make an appearance for that, then he’d be able to fly home the following day. He did his best to be sociable and ensure that he spoke to every member of the crew during the evening, but as the time approached one o'clock in the morning, he was getting tired and irritable. 

Tom stepped out onto the private terrace of the club, dropping onto one of the plush outdoor sofas and exhaling loudly, closing his eyes and dropping his head back. Tom loved his job but at times it was exhausting. He could feel the tension in his neck and shoulders and he made a mental note to try book himself in for a massage once he was home. 

He sat there quietly for some time, grateful for the gentle breeze that was blowing and cooling him down. He wondered what Kate was doing now. She was never far from his thoughts, even after all this time. Even though she wasn’t his anymore. God, he still missed her so much.

“Here you are!” A voice exclaimed from behind him, shattering the silence. He opened his eyes and lifted his head to look at Charlotte as she stood in front of him, a drink in each of her hands. She held one out to him and he took it, taking a sip and putting it down on the table as she seated herself next to him on the sofa. She slipped her heels off with a relieved groan and tucked her legs underneath her before looking back at him. “What are you doing out here?”

Tom shrugged, “Just getting some air.”

Charlotte tilted her head to one side as she studied him. “Thomas! You’re not still moping after that woman, are you? It’s a party! We should be celebrating!”

Tom sighed and looked into his lap, “I don’t feel much like celebrating, Lottie. Not tonight.“

Charlotte set her drink down on the table and reached out, placing her hand on his thigh, “C'mon, Tom! Hey…” She moved a bit closer and brought her hand up to his cheek, turning his head so he would look at her. “C'mon, she’s not worth it.”

“I-” Tom began to argue, his brow furrowing. Their faces were only inches apart as Charlotte tightened her grip on his face, interrupting him.

“You’re better than that, better than  _her_. You deserve more, Tom.”

Suddenly, before Tom knew what was happening, Charlotte closed the distance between them, pressing her lips against his as she practically climbed into his lap. Tom quickly realized what was going on and grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and shoved her away from him in disgust. He swiped his thumb along his lips in an attempt to rid himself of Charlotte’s lipstick. He didn’t need anyone seeing this and getting the wrong idea. He was so tired of scandals and assumptions about his love life.

Tom looked around for signs of anyone having seen what she’d just done and ran his hands through his hair. He stared at Charlotte as she scrambled to keep her balance on the sofa.

“What the  _fuck_  was that?”

Regaining her composure, Charlotte smiled sweetly at him, “I know you feel it, too. There’s something between us, there always has been!” She leaned toward him again, but Tom dodged her, lifting himself off the sofa and sending Charlotte forward, forcing her to brace herself on her hands as he turned around to glare at her.

“Jesus,  _stop_! Are you mad?”

“Tom-“ She began, starting to get up from the sofa but he held his hand out in front of him.

“Don’t! Just… don’t touch me. Don’t even come near me.“

Charlotte stilled again and Tom exhaled angrily as he looked at her with disbelief. That was it. This was his breaking point. After everything that happened, everything that Kate told him and the comments that Charlotte made, it was clear to him now. There was no more room for excuses. “Kate was right! All those times she tried to tell me and I wouldn’t listen!”

Tom pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head before looking at her again, “I defended you!” He growled, “I told her she was wrong about you!“

Charlotte stood up again, taking a cautious step forward. “I didn't… I wasn’t…” She stuttered, unable to speak properly. She let out an awkward laugh when she couldn’t seem to get the words out.

Anger and frustration building, Tom moved towards her, bending down so he was the same height as her, “Let me clear a few things up for you,  _Charlotte_.” He sneered. “Firstly, I  _never have_  and  _never will_  have any interest in you.“ He could see Charlotte’s cool exterior starting to crumble as he continued, “Secondly, you are a jealous, devious,  _poisonous_  little bitch and I will  _never_  forgive you for what you did to Kate." 

Charlotte’s eyes began to water and it no longer affected Tom. He didn’t have an ounce of sympathy left for the selfish woman in front of him. He held eye contact with her for a few seconds longer before standing upright again. “I hope that tonight I’ve made you feel as miserable and humiliated as you made Kate feel. I hope that I’ve made you realize that nothing will  _ever_  happen between us. And if I have, then at least something good has come out of this vile situation.”

He started to walk away, back towards the door into the club, his head down. As he reached the door, Charlotte called after him.

“Tom, please! I… I love you!”

Pausing, he turned back to her. “I don’t love you, Charlotte. I don’t even  _like you_  anymore.”

As he opened the door to go back inside, Charlotte’s sobs were drowned out by the noise of the party inside, but Tom didn’t rejoin the celebrations. He walked quickly through the club towards the exit, ignoring the people around him that were calling his name. He was done with tonight, with L.A. and with Charlotte. 

He just wanted to go home.

 

* * *

 

 

Tom climbed the stairs to Kate’s flat two at a time in his eagerness to get to her. And this time he wasn’t going to give up. He was ready to admit he’d been wrong about Charlotte and tell Kate how sorry he was, and that he should have listened to her. He wasn’t going to leave until he had the woman he loved back in his arms.

Taking a deep breath and trying to compose himself, he knocked twice on her door and plunged his hands into his pockets nervously as he waited. He heard footsteps approaching from the other side of the door, then it cracked open and Kate was peering around it at him, her eyes wide as she took him in.

“Tom? What are you doing here?”

“Can I come in?” He asked hopefully.

Kate glanced behind her awkwardly and was about to speak again but Tom interrupted her. “Kate, listen… I know about Charlotte. I know about everything she did to you and I’m so sorry I didn’t listen to you.“

Kate watched him silently as he continued, “I should have taken it more seriously. God Kate, I wish I could turn back the clock and I know I can’t but I’m here now… and I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right between us. I can’t spend another day without you.”

Kate looked to the floor, seemingly deep in thought. Tom watched her anxiously. Finally, she looked back up at him and shook her head, “It’s too late.“

“W-What?” Tom stuttered, taking a step backwards in shock.

“It’s too late, Tom.” She repeated with a frown. “You should have listened, but you didn’t. You had your chance. It’s been months now. I’ve moved on with my life… I’ve moved on from you.”

“But…” Tom could feel panic starting to rise in his chest as he stared at her.

Kate shook her head again, “I’m sorry, but nothing you can say will change the way things are…” She sighed, “I think you should go.”

“Kate, please!” Tom begged, moving back towards the door, towards her.

“Don’t come here again.“ Kate answered flatly, before closing the door in his face.

Suddenly, Tom woke with a gasp, bolting upright in his seat. His skin was clammy and he was breathing hard as he glanced around the plane.

“Tom? You okay, mate?” 

Tom glanced across to Luke who was seated next to him on the plane, nodding before turning away and staring out the window with a sigh. “Just a bad dream.”

“I’d say more of a nightmare to have got you that worked up.” Luke replied.

Tom squeezed his eyes shut and dropped his head back against the seat. “I went to see Kate. She rejected me, told me it was too late and she shut the door in my face.” He opened his eyes again and stared into his lap with a shake of his head and a humourless chuckle.

“Are you going to go and see her when we get home?” Luke asked cautiously.

Tom sighed, “How can I after all this time? She was right… or rather, the Kate in my dream was right. It  _is_  too late. I never should have doubted her in the first place. I should have listened… and I let her down.”

Picking at the seam on the armrest of his seat, he sighed again, “I lost her the day I let her walk out of my house. Too much time has passed now, I can’t just stroll back into her life and apologize and expect her to be okay with everything.” 

Not to mention she’d already moved on with Zack. He recalled the moment he saw her with Zack all those months ago when he had tried to see her and she’d looked…  _happy_. How could he waltz into her life now and re-complicate things, or worse, embarrass himself like in his dream?

He felt a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder from his manager, “If that’s the case then you need to move on, mate. You said yourself, it’s been months now. You’ve got to get on with your own life.”

Tom responded with a sad nod of his head. He knew Luke was right. He had to pick himself up and try to forget about Kate. 

 

* * *

 

 

Tom knew he should try and stay awake for the rest of the day and go to bed at the normal time, but he was  _exhausted_. He arrived home to be greeted by Bobby who had been dropped off by the dog sitter earlier in the day. He spent a good half an hour rolling around on the floor with his most faithful companion in a mixture of cuddles and play, Bobby ridiculously excited to have his dad home again at last. 

After a quick survey of his kitchen cupboards, Tom realised he had pretty much no food at all. He’d thrown away anything that could go off before he left for L.A., and all that was left was a few tins of various foods, none of which seemed particularly appealing. After all those months of American food, Tom was dying for some proper English home cooked grub. Well, at least grocery shopping would keep him awake for a bit longer. As he left the house, Tom decided against going to the small Tesco close to his house in favour of visiting a larger superstore a short car journey away, so he could fully restock his kitchen as he didn’t plan on leaving his house again for the next few days. 

Shopping complete and cupboards restocked, Tom made himself a cup of tea, armed himself with a packet of chocolate hobnobs, and made himself comfortable on the sofa. He went through his post and saw to anything that needed immediate attention, before powering up his laptop to go through his emails. By now it was quite late into the evening and Tom was starting to lose concentration. He was pretty sure he fell asleep momentarily a couple of times as he scrolled through his junk folder after attending to all the more important emails in his inbox. He flicked through them absentmindedly, paying little attention as he deleted them, until one made him stop dead. It was from One True Match. 

_Still looking for love? Re-join for free today!_

Tom slammed the lid shut with a huff. Just seeing that email had made him irrationally angry as it brought back yet more memories of Kate. How had someone as incredible as her ever needed a dating website? She should have had men falling at her feet, just like he had… like Zack had. The crushing reality of the situation hit him again, reminding him that Kate and Zack were a couple now. He wondered if they were still together. Of course they were, only an idiot would let Kate go… an idiot like him. All Tom could hope was that Zack was treating her well, just like she deserved. 

Not even thoughts of Kate were able to keep Tom awake and with a yawn he decided to call it a night. He let Bobby out quickly and made his way to bed, too tired to think anymore about anything for the day.

Tom slept solidly for fourteen hours, and it was only the sound of the heavy rain falling outside that woke him up. 

Welcome back to England.

Dragging himself out of bed with a groan, he wandered into the bathroom, turning the shower on and stepping under the warm spray. It was so good to be home, despite the weather. As he let the water wash over him he thought about the fact that he had a few weeks off to do whatever he wanted. He’d catch up with some of his friends, maybe go and stay with his mum for a few days, read some of the books he’d bought while he’d been in America… it was just lovely to think that for a while his life wasn’t all planned out for him. 

After he’d finished in the shower and had a coffee, he took Bobby out for a long walk around Primrose Hill. It was still raining but he didn’t actually mind too much after months of blistering LA heat. He needed to start running again too. There were plenty of things he could do to get his life back to normal, back to the way it was before Kate. He was forever going to regret letting her go but he had to try and move on now, just like Luke had said. Despite how stupid he’d been, he deserved to find happiness… even if it meant doing it without her.

Later that evening as Tom lay on his sofa reading quietly, his back started to ache again and he remembered that he still hadn’t booked that massage. Sitting up, he pulled his laptop towards him and opened it up to email the sports clinic he went to. He hadn’t shut it down properly the night before and his emails were still open on the screen, reminding him of the one from the dating website. He stared at it for a few moments as he thought it over. Maybe it was what he needed to do - throw himself back out there and meet someone new. If he could find someone as amazing as Kate on a matchmaking website, maybe he could find someone else that way, too? He reached out to click onto the website and paused again. He wasn’t sure… was he really ready for this? 

“Fuck it.“ Tom mumbled to himself as he loaded the website. He had to do something to try and get Kate out of his head. He typed in all his registration details again and quickly pressed submit before he had time to change his mind.

 

* * *

 

 

It had been put off for much too long. Kate should have packed them away six months ago, but she kept telling herself that her Loki Funko Pop!’s were just figurines and they didn’t look like Tom… But she was constantly reminded of the movies, she would think of Tom’s face and how captivating he was as Loki. Her mind would absently be drawn to the comic con event in New York and their roleplay adventure back at the hotel, and it would send her spiraling into her longing to see him again.

Kate ran her thumb over the freshly fallen tear drop on Dark World Loki’s face and quickly scrubbed at her eyes. She put the figurine into the box and swept her gaze over the rest of her Loki memorabilia inside. She knew taking them down shouldn’t be such a big thing but they were the last trace of Tom in her flat, the last reminder of him being part of her life. They were nothing more than memories, just like Tom himself. 

Kate regretted giving up so easily. She missed him so much, the man that treated her better than any of her past boyfriends had. What had she been thinking…? Clearly, she hadn’t. It wasn’t perfect, but she threw away the best relationship she’d ever had because she couldn’t deal with Charlotte or the how busy he was with his career. She should have tried harder, she should have been more understanding about his schedule. But what good would that do her now? Tom was in L.A., moving on with his life,  _with Charlotte_ , after letting her go way too easily.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her phone ringing on the table beside the box. She picked it up once she saw Roxy’s name flash across the screen and wedged it between her ear so she could place the last of her Loki merchandise into the box.

"Hey Rox.”

“Kate! What are you up to?”

Kate sighed as she closed the flaps on the box over each other. “Nothing… too important, really.” Her procrastination of getting rid of an ex’s constant reminders was not something she felt like sharing at the moment. “Just doing a bit of cleaning up.”

“Well, how ‘bout a break? Can we meet for coffee?”

Kate let go of the box with relief and stood up, heading for her room. Anything to take her mind off of things, she could use an afternoon out with her friend. “Sure! Let me just have a shower and I’ll be ready. Meet you in an hour?”

“Let’s meet at Coffee House, yeah?”

“Of course! See you in a bit!”

Kate ended the call with Roxy and began to get ready. Once she was showered and dressed, she put a bit of make up on and grabbed her umbrella before she walked out of her flat. Her favorite coffee shop was only a few blocks away and it wasn’t raining very hard, so she walked. About halfway there, she wished she had worn a light jacket over her long sleeves. The September air was beginning to get chilly, as October was quickly approaching and so would the lower temperatures. She wasted no time in entering the shop once she arrived, sighing with relief when she felt the warmth of the coffee shop.

Walking up to the counter, she ordered her coffee and turned around to find Roxy. To her surprise, not only did Kate spot her, but sitting there right next to her was Zack. Her eyebrows drew up in surprise as she headed over, smiling at him when she sat down. “Zack! Roxy never mentioned you were coming!”

Zack gave her a sheepish smile, “Sorry, I hope you weren’t expecting girl time.”

“No no, that’s okay! I was just surprised to see you here is all.”

“I’d like to tell you that I just popped in for a coffee by coincidence, but… that would be a lie. You see, there’s something Roxy and I want to talk to you about.”

Kate furrowed her brow in confusion again, “Yeah?”

Roxy and Zack exchanged a look before Roxy took a nervous breath. Okay, they were acting really strange. What had gotten into them?

“Erm… Kate… Zack and I… Well, we…-” Roxy started, but Zack interjected as she struggled. 

“Roxy and I are together. We’re dating." 

Kate’s mouth dropped open and she looked between her two friends. "You… two… are  _dating_? Have I heard that correctly?”

“Yes.” Roxy spoke up a little more confidently this time.

Kate stared at them silently for a few moments, taking the news in before reacting. “Wow, I… I don’t know what to say! I mean, it’s a little unexpected, but… I’m happy for you guys!” Kate smiled.

“You are?” Roxy seemed to relax a bit after Kate voiced her approval. “Gosh, I was so nervous to tell you. I don’t know if you noticed, but I could barely keep it together on the phone!”

Kate laughed, shaking her head. “No, I didn’t actually.”

Zack slipped his hand in Roxy’s and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze as he grinned at her. “See, I told you she would understand.”

Roxy blushed and looked at him with a small smile, “Well, yeah but…”

Kate watched their little exchange, wondering how she’d missed it. Had they always been into each other? “So when did this happen?”

Zack rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, “Well… to be honest? It started about five months ago…”

Kate widened her eyes, “ _Five months_?" 

"Remember that night we dragged you to the bar, but you weren’t quite ready…?”

Kate thought about it for a moment, recalling that night. She had caught the attention of a guy across the bar and she realized it was too soon after Tom. So she left early, leaving Zack and Roxy… by themselves…

Her mouth dropped open and she looked between the two with a look of realization.

“We were both really drunk… I was trying to move on from Greg and Zack was trying to move on from-” Roxy began to explain, but Zack cut her off quickly. 

“My single life.” Zack glanced at Roxy sternly for a moment before turning back to Kate with a smile like nothing happened. There was something about his tone Kate had picked up on, but she quickly forgot about it as he continued. “Now before you assume-” He added quickly, pointing at her. “-we haven’t been serious the whole five months. We hooked up that night and after that we weren’t sure what we really wanted out of it.”

“Right, we thought maybe it was just a one night stand kind of a thing, so at first we acted like it never happened… Then eventually we went on a few dates and decided we really liked each other and wanted to give it a shot.”

As Kate processed everything her friends had just told her, she took a long drink of her coffee, which had cooled down a little since she’d sat down so it went down without burning her throat. “Wow…” She finally said after swallowing the warm, bitter liquid and tapped her finger on the lid a couple of times. “I mean, I know that you guys weren’t officially together until recently, but… how did I not notice it?” The question was more to herself than it was directed at them, but Roxy spoke up anyway.

“Well… You have been pretty distracted lately, Kate.” Roxy pointed out softly, earning her a curious look. “Ever since Tom… you haven’t really been yourself. And I’m worried about you.” She reached across the table between them and covered Kate’s hand with hers. “I’m not trying to rush you, but maybe now it’s time that you moved on?”

“We just want you to be happy, Kate.” Zack added with a smile, “You don’t have to go out with the next guy you meet, but maybe just think about it, yeah?”

Roxy sat back and watched as Kate picked at the hem of her top. She sighed, looking down as her eyes watered. "Maybe you’re right…” She looked back up, holding back her tears as she cleared her throat. “You know what I was doing before this? I was packing things away that remind me of Tom. There’s a box sitting on my living room table with my Loki figures, the book he gave me when he took me to New York, the bracelet he bought me for Christmas, and his Cambridge hoodie that I couldn’t bring myself to return to him…”

“That’s good, Kate! It’s progress. Moving slow is okay, as long as you keep moving forward. You’ll never get over him this way.”

 _Maybe I don’t want to get over him…_ Kate thought briefly, but quickly abandoned it. She had to. As much as she didn’t want to, this was something she had to do to be happy. Even if she had to be happy without Tom.

Kate had a lot to think about on the way home. She walked slowly in the rain under her umbrella, her thoughts shifting from Zack and Roxy, to Tom, to the fact that she had to move on. Could she? Could she try and find someone else to love as much as she loved Tom?

She certainly had to try.

When Kate got back to her flat, she kicked off her shoes and dropped her bag and keys on the table. She looked across the room at the box she abandoned earlier when Roxy had invited her out. She sighed, walking over to it and staring, contemplating her next move. Finally, she decided to scribble Tom’s name on the box and tape it closed before placing it on the top shelf of her closet in her room. Baby steps.

Perhaps someday she could part with it. She’d find someone to sweep her off her feet and she wouldn’t feel like she needed it anymore. Then she would get rid of it. But for now, it would stay nestled safely in her closet, where she could access it if she wanted another look.

Later that evening, Kate was curled up on the couch with Netflix on the telly and her laptop propped open on her lap. She was scrolling through her emails while occasionally texting with Roxy. There was one email that nearly made her drop her phone. _Are you still with us…?_ It was from One True Match. She abandoned her phone on the couch next to her and clicked on it, reading it’s contents. 

_Hello Kate!_

_It’s been a while since we’ve heard from you! One year to be exact! Last match didn’t quite work out? Don’t let that stop you from getting back out there! Please take a few moments to sign into our website and update your profile, then begin the process of finding another match - on us!_

_One True Match Customer Service_

Kate stared at the email. She couldn’t believe the coincidence of them emailing her today, of all days. The day she chose to move on from Tom Hiddleston. 

Chewing on her bottom lip, she clicked on the link at the end of the email, which took her to the website. She slowly typed in her login details and with her cursor hovering over Login, she clicked on it. It took her to her old profile page and she looked everything over, deciding nothing about it had changed. The website automatically updated her age, as her birthday was stored in her settings, and she still had the same job and hobbies. So there was nothing more to do than to find her next match. After staring at it for a minute while she thought it over, she chose to go for it.

“Well, there you have it matchmaking gods. Don’t let me down this time.” Kate’s voice fell into a whisper as she talked to no one in particular, feeling silly toward the end.

Knowing it would take some time, she shut her computer and decided to finish watching the remaining twenty minutes of the movie she had put on and head to bed. 

Kate woke up the next morning feeling the absence of a weight that had been resting on her shoulders for a long time. She knew it had to do with her choosing to finally move on and take a step toward finding someone new. Nerves twisted in her belly as she laid there, wondering if she’d been matched yet. There was only one way to find out…

After she had gotten up and sat down with her coffee, Kate checked her email. Her brow furrowed when she realized she hadn’t received any word from the website yet. The last time she had done this, she’d woken up to a match. Perhaps it would take a bit longer this time. 

Kate decided to keep busy and not drive herself crazy over it. She finished her coffee, had some breakfast and did a bit of much needed cleaning around her flat. Grocery shopping was added to her list of things she needed to do, so she got herself dressed and popped over to Tesco after she ate some lunch. When the groceries were all put away, she decided she’d done enough chores for the day and settled down in front of her computer to check the website. To her surprise, she’d received a notification. 

_Match found._

Excitement thudded in her chest as she stared at the same words she’d seen for the first time a year ago. What kind of man had the world thrust at her this time?

The moment she clicked on the link, she was taken to the page of her match, and her breath caught in her throat. 

_Tom H._


	17. Together

_No fucking way._

Kate stared at the profile pulled up on her laptop's screen in disbelief. She wasn't sure if she was more shocked or confused to see his name show up as her match.

Of all the people she could be matched up with…

But wait, hadn't he moved on with Charlotte? Wasn't he in L.A. working on his new film with her? Surely he didn't have the time to date, let alone properly chat with someone being that he was eight hours behind. Kate’s leg bounced up and down nervously as she stared at the screen. Was this a dream? Would she wake up in a minute and realize this wasn’t actually real?

_How could this be happening?_

She quickly grabbed for her cell phone and dialed up Roxy. The second she answered the phone, she cut off her friend's greeting. "Roxy! You aren't going to believe this!"

“You’ve won the lottery and you’re gonna pay for us to go backpacking around the world for a year? Wait, no, if you’ve won the lottery we’re not slumming it, we’ll stay in five star hotels! Oh, please tell me that’s it?!”

Kate pursed her lips, though Roxy couldn't see her. "I'm serious, Rox! I signed back up on that matchmaking website, and-"

"You did? Well, good for you! I'm glad you listened to Zack and I yesterday."

"Yes, well you'll never guess who popped up on my screen as a match!"

"If you say Chris Hemsworth, then I really need to think about signing up."

"Hey!" Zack's distant voice of protest was heard in the background.

"No, it wasn't Chris Hemsworth! It was Tom!  _My_  To-... Erm my ex, Tom. Tom Hiddleston."

"What?!"

"Yeah, and Roxy, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that you can't be matched up with the same person twice… So how in the fuck did this happen?"

The other line went silent for a moment, before Roxy began to read something. "...yeah, it says right here, 'If either party declines the match after the two weeks, they will not be matched again.'" 

Kate thought about it for a moment before gasping, "I never went back on to follow up! But still, you would think that it would take them out of the mix if you'd already been matched up, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah you would, but obviously not! What are you going to do? Are you going to respond?"

"I…" Kate opened her mouth to say something, but realized she wasn't quite sure. "...don't know. I don't even know what I would say."

"Well, do you want him back?" 

Kate didn't miss a beat. "Yes, you know I do. I miss him so much I can hardly stand it."

"Then bloody go get him!" Zack chimed in, his voice sounding like he had his face near Roxy's phone. "Go to his house and tell him how you feel!"

"I don't know if I…" Kate shook her head, trying to shove the paranoid thoughts of him slamming the door in her face. The thought made her sick to her stomach. "I don't even know if he would want to talk to me."

"You won't know if you don't try, Kate." Roxy urged her softly, making Kate think about it.

She began to stand, "You know what? You're right! I'm going to-" A knock on Kate's door made her whip her head in its direction in surprise. "Oh? Someone's here, I've gotta go. I'll call you back!!" Kate pressed the  _End Call_  button and set her phone down on the table, making her way over to the door. When she unlocked and opened it, she couldn't believe who was standing there. 

"Kate."

"Tom…!' She widened her eyes in surprise, his name flying out of her mouth in a gasp. She couldn't believe he was there! At her doorstep! Her heart began to beat wildly in her chest and her stomach did somersaults. 

There were a few beats of silence between them as they took each other in. After not having seen him for so long, Kate noted the changes in his appearance. The glow of his L.A. tan, his hair had grown a bit longer so it curled more, and he'd let his facial hair grow, rather than shave it like he had before. He looked  _gorgeous_.

Time seemed to stand still as their eyes met and they shared a moment where neither of them said a word, but the emotion shown through was just enough. Tom took a step toward her and she could feel the intensity of his gaze that was all too familiar. He was looking at her the same way she was looking at him; with longing and so much affection that she could hardly breathe. It was then that she knew Tom wanted the same thing she did.

He reached up to take Kate's face in between his hands and her eyelids fluttered from the gentle gesture. The warmth from his skin brushing hers turned to heat as the length of his fingers settled along the back of her neck. Deep blue eyes searched hers for any kind of a sign that this wasn't okay, but Kate was made no protest. She wanted it just as bad. The desire to feel his lips on hers once more grew every second that they weren't.

"Tom…" She repeated in a whisper, urging him to lean down and give her what they both wanted. The low plea coming from her waiting mouth and the stillness of her body seemed to give him all the permission he needed to finally press his lips to hers. 

Kate slid her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Tom lowered his hands only to slide them around to the small of her back as he deepened their kiss. As their tongues moved in a sweet harmony that drew a soft moan from within them, Kate could think about nothing apart from Tom. There was so much needing to be said, but none of it mattered at that moment. Nothing but the passion in their kiss and the affection in their touch.

“I’m sorry...” Tom whispered into her mouth. He pulled away from her and rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavily. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry, too…" Kate replied, her voice thick with emotion. "I-"

Tom kissed her again, stealing the words right out of her mouth and silencing her. "No, I should have listened to you." He pulled his head back and brushed her hair away from her face, looking deeply into her eyes with so much sincerity it made her eyes water. "I shouldn't have let you go so easily."

Tom dipped his head back down and captured her lips in a kiss more desperate this time, curling his arms back around her as if he were afraid he'd lose her all over again. But he wouldn't, he couldn't, and Kate hoped that her returning affection would convey that. She missed this, missed  _him_ , the feeling of being in his arms and how his lips molded with hers.

Before Kate knew what was happening, Tom had guided her back into her flat without breaking their kiss. He reached for the door behind her and pushed it closed, pressing her against it. The moment her back touched the door and she felt his body against hers, she snaked her arms around him. Her body lit up with anticipation of feeling him all over, his hands roaming every inch of her and making her feel as good as he used to before they had broken up.

His hands slid underneath her top, resting on her hip and back, the warmth of his skin on hers was driving her wild. She needed it, she needed him. But they had to stop.

"We… We need to talk first." As she said this, she felt him suck on her neck and she bit back a moan. "We should talk before this-" Kate gasped when he kissed the sensitive spot. "-continues."

Tom sighed and withdrew himself from her, leaning back to look at her. "You're right, we should talk first." He grabbed her hand and brought it up to his lips, pressing a kiss to the backs of her fingers before reluctantly letting go of her and gesturing towards the living room.

“Would you like a drink or anything?” Kate asked, still feeling a little nervous about everything. Just because Tom was there, it didn’t mean everything was okay, not yet. They still had so much to talk through. 

Tom nodded, “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

Kate gave a small chuckle. “I would actually really like a cup of tea."

Returning her laughter, Tom nodded again. “Tea sounds like a wonderful idea."

They stood smiling at each other for a few more seconds until Kate started to move towards the kitchen, “Go and make yourself comfortable, I’ll just be a minute”

She quickly ducked into the kitchen and boiled the kettle, hurrying to pop a couple of tea bags into the mugs and get the mills from the fridge. She took a few deep breaths as she poured the water into the cups, trying to calm herself down. When she entered the living room, Tom was sitting on the edge of the sofa, looking just as nervous as she felt. 

Kate set the mugs down on the table and seated herself next to Tom as he turned to face her. They looked at each other and then started to talk at the same time, both immediately stopping again.

Tom laughed and ran his hands through his hair “Sorry… please, you go first.”

Where did she even start? This all still felt a little surreal. Tom was there, he was in her flat again and… God, he looked good. He  _always_  looked good.

“Look at your hair…” she mumbled, reaching out and running her hand gently through the curls. “And the beard…” A small smile formed as her hand left his hair and stroked across his cheek.

Tom lifted his hand and closed it over hers, turning into the contact and kissing her palm.

“Do you like it?” He whispered as he kissed her again.

“I do." Kate watched as Tom guided her hand from his face into his lap, linking their fingers together. The gesture warmed her heart and gave her hope that they could work things out. And if Kate wanted to make things right, she was going to have to speak, no matter how difficult it was to talk about it.

“Tom, I… I know I already said I'm sorry but really I am." She glanced back up at him, hoping he saw that she was being sincere. "I gave up on you, on  _us_  too easily and I’ve been regretting it ever since." Kate sighed. "It wasn't fair to expect you to always have time for me. I should have been more understanding. I know it must be hard for you to try and make time for everything." She paused to shrug. “I guess if I hadn’t been so overwhelmed by Charlotte and how awful she made me feel, I could have handled it a bit better. But God Tom, I felt sick every time you were with her. I know she’s your friend and it's not that I don't trust you, but she was awful to me. I tried so hard not to let it get to me but I couldn't help it.”

“I understand, darling." Tom replied, squeezing her hand reassuringly. “But Charlotte won’t be a problem anymore, I can promise you that."

“You can?” Kate questioned. She wanted to believe him but she knew what that woman was like. She knew how manipulative Charlotte could be.

“I saw an entirely different side of Charlotte while we were in L.A…. A side that I really didn’t like very much.” Tom looked into his lap to where their hands were joined, seemingly thinking about what he was going to say next as he absently stroked her knuckles gently with his thumb until eventually he spoke again. “She made some pretty horrible comments about you, and it really opened my eyes as to what kind of a person she really was. And then at the wrap party, she tried to kiss me.”

Kate stiffened. She  _knew it._  She knew she wasn’t wrong about her. Charlotte really had been after Tom, she hadn't just imagined it.

“I told her in no uncertain terms that I wasn’t interested.” Tom added quickly. “I said some pretty terrible things to her actually. She told me she loved me and I told her I didn’t even  _like_  her.” 

For only a split second did she feel any sort of sympathy - only for the fact that she wouldn't have survived a rejection like that, especially from him. But the bitch deserved it for the way she treated Kate, and as quickly as that feeling came, it left.

There was a hint of a smirk on Tom's face as he looked at her and Kate couldn’t help the snort of laughter that escaped as she tried to imagine the scene. She only wished he would have done it sooner, preferably while she was present. “What did she say to that?”

Tom shrugged. “Nothing. She cried and I left. I haven’t seen or spoken to her since."

Kate sniggered again, unable to hide her delight as Tom started to chuckle too. Shaking her head and regaining her composure, Kate knew there was one more question she needed to ask.

“So you and her weren’t… together?”

Tom frowned at her, “What? No. God, no. Absolutely not. Never." He shook his head to reiterate his rejection of the idea of ever being with Charlotte. Kate could feel his thumb running over her knuckles and his fingers shifting nervously against hers. Something was bothering him and she looked at him expectedly for him to speak. "Kate… now that we've talked about Charlotte, I think we should talk about Zack."

Kate froze. Why did he want to talk about Zack? Did he know? He couldn’t know… how could he? Regardless, if they were going to work things out, he deserved to know. 

“It was just one kiss!" She blurted, her stomach twisting with guilt as she felt his thumb still against her skin. She refused to meet his eyes as she confessed her momentary lapse of judgement. "I was losing my mind and he was always there, being so supportive that I just…" She trailed off and shook her head, "It was stupid is what it was, I don't know what I was thinking. I didn't want him, I never wanted him." Kate finally met his gaze, praying that this wasn't going to be an issue.

“Wait, you and Zack weren’t together? Like, dating?” 

Kate shook her head vigorously, “No! Of course not!”

“I thought-“ Tom stopped. He wondered if Zack had ever told Kate about their meeting in the store. He suspected probably not. For a moment he wondered if he should tell her but quickly he decided against it. After all, it didn’t really matter now and if he wanted to get back with Kate, potentially causing an argument between her and her best friend wasn’t a good move. Maybe that would be a conversation they could have another day. Right now, all that mattered was him and Kate. 

“Zack’s actually dating Roxy now.” Kate added, trying to shift the focus and keep the mood from souring. 

“Shit, really?” 

Kate nodded, grinning, “Yeah! They seem really happy, really loved up.”

Tom smirked. “I’d never have put those two together.”

“I know. Some things were just meant to be I guess.” Kate shrugged “Love always finds a way."

They both fell quiet for a second at the mention of that word. It hung in the air between them, still unspoken. 

“Do you think love has found a way with us too?” Tom whispered. This was it, he was going to tell her. He’d let her slip away once without telling her how he felt, and he was damn sure he wasn’t going to let that happen again.

Kate snapped her gaze back up to him, her lips parted in surprise. 

"These last few months have been absolute hell for me and I was miserable without you. When we were matched up for a second time, I knew this was the universe giving us a second chance and I had to see you. I had to try and get you back. I don't want to spend another second without you. No one has ever made me feel the way you do, Kate…"

Her heart began to quicken its pace as Tom shuffled closer to her on the sofa, still clinging to her hand. He let out a shaky breath, and searched her eyes nervously, "I am  _so_  in love with you."

Kate reached over to place her hand on his cheek, her fingers grazing his beard before her palm settled over it. Tears pricked her eyes as she took in his words, trying to grasp onto the reality that just minutes ago Tom had shown up at her doorstep after finding out that fate was trying to thrust the two of them together once again and now he was sitting next to her on her couch, pouring out his heart to her. He still cared for her and he was trusting her with his heart all over again.

Tom’s forehead creased in concern as he saw her eyes gloss over with tears that he didn’t understand and he grasped their linked hands more firmly. “I’m sorry, I’ve said too much haven't I?”

Words caught in Kate’s throat, her speechlessness going misunderstood. “Kate, please say something?”

Mentally scolding herself, she finally choked out, “I love you too, Tom… more than anything or anyone.”

Tom’s face broke out in a smile as she continued with a shake of her head. “I’m sorry, I just… I’m so happy that I haven’t lost you that I-” She tried to explain, but she was cut off by Tom pulling her forward and bringing her lips to his.

The kiss was sweet and filled with longing as his lips lingered still, his movements unrushed, but deep. As his tongue slipped past her parted lips, she sighed and pulled her hand out of his so that she could snake her arms around his neck. She couldn't help but play with the ends of his curly hair, now obsessed with them as they brushed her fingertips. 

Tom tugged her into his lap, cupping her face with one hand and sliding the other around her so that he could hold her. Kate's hands slid up deeper into his golden locks, eliciting a soft moan from him. The sound sent desire coursing through her body, a desire that hadn't been met for months and left her craving it on the daily.

"Tom…" The quiet, breathless utter of his name told him everything he needed to know. The need in her voice was quite clear to him. His hand slipped under her top, igniting a familiar fire from within her body, one that only he could put out with his loving touches and skilled movements along her body.

He inched the soft cotton upward with his wrist, his fingers gliding up her skin and leaving blazing hot trails in their wake. God, she needed him so bad but like him, she didn't want to rush this. She wanted to enjoy making love to him after being without so long. 

The moment Tom discarded her shirt, he dipped his head in toward her neck and covered it with slow, deliberate kisses. The occasional suck on her skin and the caress to her breast over her bra drove her mad with desire. 

Kate rocked her hips gently against his, eliciting a beautiful  moan from his lips and a pulse from below her. Her fingers worked the buttons on his shirt, her longing to feel his warm skin under her fingers could be ignored no longer.

Shirt open and hands free to roam the curves of his chest and collarbone, Kate greedily took advantage. She ran her palms along his skin, still grinding against him until she herself couldn't take it anymore. 

As Tom unfastened her bra, she did the same with his pants, only pausing with a gasp when his mouth touched her breasts. Her hands stilled on the buckle of his belt when his tongue ran over her nipple. She tipped her head back, closing her eyes with her lips parted, a pleased sigh escaping them as he repeated the motion. 

"So beautiful…" He whispered as he pulled back to take in the sight of her on his lap, half naked and eyes hooded when she opened them. He couldn't believe Kate was in his arms again, skin smooth as silk as always and so responsive to his touch.

"Tom…" She whimpered, squirming under his gaze. Her fingers resumed their mission as she kept her eyes locked on his. "I need you." 

"I know." He slid his hands underneath her and held her firmly as he stood from the couch, ceasing her attempt at removing his pants. "I need you, too."

Kate wrapped her arms around him to help hold herself up. She leant forward and kissed his neck with the occasional nip, feeling his grip on her bottom tighten as he groaned. Tom barely made it to her room, placing her down on the bed quickly so he could rid himself of the pesky clothing that got in the way. 

After peeling out of her jeans and panties, Kate propped herself up on her elbows to watch him finish undressing with awe. She marveled at his physique as if it were the first time, admiring his lean yet muscular body. He was the most breathtaking human being she'd ever seen and she realized for the hundredth time that she had been crazy to let him go. But she wouldn't make that mistake again. Kate would hold onto him as tight as she could from this day forward.

She reached for him and he eagerly locked fingers with her as he knelt down on the bed, moving to hover over this irresistible woman he could once again call his. Her look of anticipation nearly made him groan and give in to the sudden urge to take her right then and there. But he had other plans. Plans to draw out their afternoon, well into the evening until they were hungry for food. Then after their bellies were sated, he'd take her back to bed and sate her appetite once more. 

Tom leant down and began to kiss her; her mouth, her neck, gradually working his way down until he covered damn near every inch of her body. Then when he settled between her thighs, he devoured her slowly; kissing, licking and sucking on her until she was begging him for release.

With one last skillful curl of his finger and a flick of his tongue, her hands fisted the sheets and she cried out. His ministrations slowed and he lifted himself from between her legs, his beard glistening with her juices.

Tom scrubbed a hand over his mouth with a smirk before making the short crawl up her body. He stroked the hair away from her face and placed a kiss to her temple, then to her lips.

His erection grazed her stomach, throbbing and begging for attention. Kate wasted no time in flipping them over and straddling him. She moved her hips to slide her wet folds along his cock in a teasing motion.

Tom closed his eyes and a deep, needy moan rumbled in his chest. "God, Kate, you're going to be the death of me." He watched her lips twitch into a smirk and he couldn't wait any longer. He needed to be inside her now. With a steady grip to her hips and one long, deep thrust, Tom sheathed himself inside of her and Kate dug her fingers into his shoulders with a gasp.

"Oh fuck..." She gave herself a moment to adjust before rolling her hips. Her slow, leisurely pace didn't last long. It was doomed from the start, they needed each other too much. 

Tom's grip on her bottom was bruising, guiding her along his shaft desperately. His cock throbbed inside of her as he watched Kate's breasts bounce, her nipples stiff and tantalizing. Unable to resist, he tugged her down to take one into his mouth, licking and sucking as he drew moan after moan from her parted lips. 

"Oh God, Tom…" She whimpered, arching into the warmth of his mouth. She pulled his hands from her hips and pinned them to the bed, sliding her fingers between his and covering his mouth with hers when he lifted his face from her chest.

She swallowed his _I love you's_  and muffled groans as she snapped her hips back and forth, chasing the tension that was building inside of her. Kate suddenly felt her world tip and Tom had her on her back, thrusting back into her without missing a beat. 

They toppled over the edge together, sweet bliss consuming them as their foreheads touched and their ragged breaths slowed. Once Tom had his mind clear enough to move, he withdrew himself from her and laid down next to her, gathering her in his arms and pressing loving kisses to her forehead.

This was it.  _Heaven_. All was right in the world, Kate was back in his arms once more and he'd never been happier. When she pulled away to smile up at him, he returned the expression as his fingers drew soft circles on her back. 

“I love you.” Kate whispered.

“I love you too.” he replied as again she reached up and stroked her hand across the rough hair on his cheek.

“You’re obsessed with my beard.”

Kate met his eyes, “I’m obsessed with  _you_.”

She squealed as Tom lunged towards her, pushing her into her back and attacked her neck. “Don’t ever stop being obsessed with me.” He mumbled in between kisses. 

“I won’t." She breathed as Tom gently nibbled at her collarbone, “Tom?”

He hummed in reply and propped himself up on his elbow to look down at her as she lay underneath him.

“We’ll be okay this time, won’t we…” It wasn’t a question, it was more of a statement. They both knew after the last few months that they couldn’t live without each other and anything life tried to test them with, they would face together. They would talk things through and never hold back. Everything was different now… everything was better.

"I mean, we can be pretty complicated sometimes…" Kate added thoughtfully.

A small rumble of laughter vibrated within his chest. "I won't disagree with that. But darling…" He smiled at her, reaching out to gently push her hair off of her face, “I'd like to think that we’re  _beautifully complicated_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you have it! The last chapter of Beautifully Complicated. We'd like to thank all of our readers for joining us on this crazy ride and for the lovely feedback you've given us!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Likes and comments are always encouraged and appreciated!


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